CNN 2010-03-21

WHITFIELD: So if you've watched your fortunes rise and fall on Wall Street, this may be only mildly shocking to you. Those big plunges 1 in your portfolio 2 can also take quite a toll 3 on your health.

CNN chief medical correspondent 4 Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us now with the results of this new study.

No surprise here because a lot of times when your, you know, pocketbook gets hit, it hurts in the heart.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It does. And you know, I think anecdotally we've known for some time that people who are stressed out or get angry about something can have problems with their heart. But there's been a lot more evidence that in fact that's true. Your blood pressure will go up, your heart rate. But the study was fascinating because they were looking at a period of time when the stock market was taking a lot of plunges. Instead of looking at individuals, they were sort of looking more globally at society, and found exactly what you said.

The number of people coming in with chest pain. The number of people having heart attacks. The number of people needing procedures all seemed to go up as the stock market went down. And they extrapolated to the same can be said of, you know, a hurricane or some sort of natural disaster occurring as wells.

WHITFIELD: You get stressed out.

GUPTA: You get stressed out. And they also know that, you know, when that happens, you release all this adrenaline. You can feel that sometimes. But that can cause electrical changes in your heart, it can cause inflammation to build up. It can also cause something known as broken-heart syndrome 5 where your heart sort of gets stunned 6 for a period of time.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

GUPTA: It won't show up on any tests. You'll feel like you're having a heart attack but you go to the hospital and they'll say everything is fine but in fact you've had a little stunning 7 of the heart they call it.

WHITFIELD: So what can you do? I mean a lot of time you can't really control what your portfolio is going to do.

GUPTA: Can't control the market?

WHITFIELD: Right. You can't control the market. So then what?

GUPTA: You know --

WHITFIELD: How do you manage this?

GUPTA: Yes. You know, it's interesting because, you know, I've traveled all over the world looking at some of the longest-lived societies around the world. And they'll say the same thing. We have stress as well. It's not that we live a stress-free life. We have the same concerns you do.

But it is about management of stress. And if you look at some of those societies, there are some simple things that people do. You know, pray and meditate 8 for about 15 minutes a day, for example.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GUPTA: I do that by the way now, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's right.

GUPTA: I never thought I'd meditate for 15 minutes a day. But I do that. And it really does make time.

WHITFIELD: I really believe -- I tried it. I like it, too.

GUPTA: Yes. Make time for happy hour. Even on St. Patrick's Day. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to drink but you know, taking some time for yourself. Obviously that makes a difference. Sex seems to make a difference. Simply laughing. There's this group of people that engage in what's called laughter yoga.

WHITFIELD: I remember that.

GUPTA: They laugh and just simply forcing themselves to laugh seems to decrease stress levels.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GUPTA: Increase happiness.

WHITFIELD: I could get into that, but I mean, you know. I mean laughing, you know, folks always say, I needed a good laugh.

GUPTA: That's right. And --

WHITFIELD: Because it makes you feel good. It's great relief.

GUPTA: Just doing it sometimes, the act of it. And could it possibly help your heart as well?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GUPTA: Could be.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much.