Stress, Inflammation, and Metabolic Syndrome: Exploring the Connection

Ohio State University

A new study has found that stress , through its propensity to increase inflammation in the body, is linked to metabolic syndrome , leading researchers to suggest that cheap and relatively simple stress management techniques may be a way to help improve biological health outcomes.

Lifestyle and genetics, and a variety of other factors within and outside of our control, are known to contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome, a set of conditions that increase the risk of serious health problems.

"We were specifically looking at people in middle age, a critical time for determining who will experience accelerated aging . Stress is an important contributor to several negative health outcomes as we age," said lead author Jasmeet Hayes, associate professor of psychology. at The Ohio State University.

"There are many variables that influence metabolic syndrome , some we can’t change, but others we can. Everyone experiences stress," Hayes said. "And stress management is a modifiable factor that is cost-effective and something people can do in their daily lives without having to involve medical professionals."

The research was published in Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health .

Links have been established between stress and biological health, but few previous studies have specifically looked at the role of inflammation in the stress-metabolic syndrome connection.

People with metabolic syndrome are diagnosed with at least three of five factors that increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems: excess belly fat, high blood pressure, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and high glucose levels. in fasting blood and triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. The condition is also known as insulin resistance syndrome .

Using data from a sample of 648 participants (average age 52 years) in a national survey titled Midlife in the United States , first author Savana Jurgens built a statistical model to evaluate how inflammation may fit into the relationship between stress and the syndrome. metabolic. The analysis used information on perceived stress reported by respondents, blood biomarkers of inflammation, and physical examination results indicating risk factors for metabolic syndrome.

"There isn’t a lot of research that has looked at all three variables at the same time," said Jurgens, a psychology graduate student in Hayes’ lab. "There’s a lot of work suggesting that stress is associated with inflammation, inflammation is associated with metabolic syndrome, and stress is associated with metabolic syndrome. But putting all those pieces together is unusual."

Inflammation composite scores were calculated using biomarkers that included the better-known IL-6 and C-reactive protein, as well as E-selectin and ICAM-1, which help recruit white blood cells during inflammation, and fibrinogen, a protein essential for blood coagulation.

The statistical model showed that stress does indeed have a relationship with metabolic syndrome, and inflammation explained more than half of that connection: 61.5%, to be exact. "There is a small effect of perceived stress on metabolic syndrome, but inflammation explains a large proportion of that," Jurgens said.

The results made sense: Stress is just one of many factors that can throw health markers into disarray. Other factors include a variety of behaviors including inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, smoking, and lack of sleep, as well as low socioeconomic status, older age, and being female.

But considering that about 1 in 3 American adults has metabolic syndrome, it’s important to know how to reduce the risk or prevent it altogether, Hayes said. The findings also add to evidence that stress and its connection to inflammation can have a major impact on overall biological health.

"People think that stress is mental health, that it’s all psychological. It’s not. Having chronic stress has real physical effects," Hayes said. "It could be inflammation, it could be metabolic syndrome or any number of things. This is another reminder of that."

Future work will include a closer look at whether stress has a causal effect on metabolic syndrome and evaluation of which stress management techniques may be best at helping reduce inflammation.

This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the Ohio State Discovery Themes Chronic Brain Injury Program, where Hayes is an investigator. Co-author Sarah Prieto of Ohio State also contributed to the study.