Laboratory tests are not sensitive enough to pick up stress-related disease processes that occur within the normal range. Stress-induced symptoms exist in a gap between disease onset and diagnosis. Or Not Our bodies have a wonderful ability to respond to stressful challenges and then return to their normal baseline. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol rise when we are under stress, then fall when the stress disappears. But sustained stress can override our bodies' natural ability to bounce back.
Sustained stress keeps cortisol levels high, suppressing our immune response.
If we continue to live in stressful circumstances, we are more likely to develop numerous disorders including infections, obesity, poor wound healing, decreased learning and memory skills, osteoporosis, hypertension, stroke and heart attacks. Worry Lines Stress can also lead to accelerated aging. Just look at how our presidents age during four years in the White House. The stresses in our own lives can affect us just as much as the stresses of running the nation. We now know that healthy aging is more dependent on our behavior than our particular gene set.