Search Here

Having steady heartbeat during stress days could indicate risk for chronic stress, a new study from Canada has found.

According to The Times of India, researchers at Concordia University in Qubec observed 76 students on the university's campus during low stress periods at the start of the term, and during high stress exam time. They also recorded heart rate variability and tracked moods of the students when relaxing and when having thoughts that caused stress. They found that while most students challenged with stress, some were more susceptible to distress. Researchers also found that those who had a steady heartbeat at the start of term were more likely to develop stress during exam time.

"At rest, a more variable heartbeat is a good thing. It shows that your parasympathetic nervous system is hard at work. That's the system that's responsible for the 'rest-and-digest' state of being - the opposite of 'fight-or-flight.' The rest-and-digest phase puts you in a calm state that allows you to conserve and replenish your energy," said psychology professor Jean-Philippe Gouin who holds a Canada Research Chair in Chronic Stress and Health, in a press release.

When body is in the rest and digest phase, a state of clam prevails and energy is conserved. However having a steady heart rate, mostly higher rates, even when such stress is unwarranted, can lead to chronic stress.

"When you're facing a real threat in your life, a regular heartbeat helps you deal with the situation. If you encounter a lion in the jungle, you want your heartbeat to stay at consistently high levels so that you can run away as fast as you can. But if your body shows the same reaction when you worry about something that may or may not happen - like failing an exam - then you might be more susceptible to stress,"  Gouin said.

"By pinpointing those in the general population who are most vulnerable to stress, we can intervene before they hit the breaking point - and hopefully prevent the negative consequences of stress by doing so. That's why it's important to have an objective diagnostic tool like this one," he added.

The findings have been published in the journal Stress.