People with ADHD were considered to have DESR if they also reported emotional-control symptoms that were worse than those reported by 95% of a large comparison group of people without ADHD. More than half of those with ADHD enrolled in the study (55%) were also emotionally reactive.
If stress itself is a risk factor for heart disease, it could be because chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack.
Stress and Your Heart. More research is needed to determine how stress contributes to heart disease â the leading killer of Americans. But stress may affect behaviors and factors that increase heart disease risk: high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating.