Warning: Stress about work or relationships can actually break your heart 

Inactivity and an unhealthy diet have long been associated with poor cardiovascular health. But researchers say emotional stress can be just as harmful 

We are all aware of the big risks for heart disease: too much salt and saturated fat, inactivity, belly fat and, of course, drinking and smoking. But researchers say emotional stress - work pressure, money worries, relationship difficulties, and loneliness - is emerging as a risk factor. And it might be more damaging to the health of your heart, particularly when the psychological burden is chronic.

In the latest study to look at the effects of chronic stress, researchers from Emory University in Atlanta showed that, in patients with underlying but stable heart disease, mental stress was more of a risk to their hearts and lives than physical stress. Reporting in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the team came to this conclusion after assessing the responses of 918 people to varying loads of physical and emotional stress.