Psychological Stress and Cardiovascular Health

Our new Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said recently that one of this four rules for health was "...making sure I’m focusing on my emotional and mental well-being." A majority of Americans reporting moderate to high levels of stress (American Psychological Association, 2014), and evidence links psychosocial aspects of stress and cardiovascular health. Therefore, just as Dr. Murthy highlights well-being as a foundation of health, so too should NHLBI prioritize basic and applied research studying stress - its antecedents, its consequences, and rigorous intervention work.