Detrimental impacts of acute mental stress on arterial function and exercise as a countermeasure

Abstract

Acute mental stress can impair arterial function (e.g., arterial stiffness and endothelial function) transiently. Repeated exposures to stress-induced transient vascular dysfunction in daily life potentially leads to persistent vascular dysfunction, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is important to devise an effective strategy to protect the vasculatures from daily stress, and exercise is one of the possible solutions. This review briefly outlines the detrimental impacts of acute mental stress on arterial function and introduces our recent research regarding exercise as a countermeasure.