Teenage Stress Linked to Health Problems Later in Life

High levels of stress as a teenager may come back to bite you later in life, scientists have warned.

Stress is a serious issue among adolescents in the U.S, and being a teenager is hard at the best of times. Internally, your body and mind are changing and reshaping, your hormones are haywire and everyone is changing at a different pace. Externally, you're faced with pressures from your peers, schoolwork, home life and, now, social media.

A 2018 poll of more than 35,800 American teens found that nearly half of them were stressed "all the time." Numerous studies have shown that high levels of chronic stress can affect both our mental and physical well-being, with links to cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, fatigue, obesity, digestive issues and immune system disorders. But, according to new research by the American Heart Association, the effects of stress in our teenage years can last long into adulthood.

"Chronic stress may cause the release of various stress hormones such as catecholamines and corticosteroids, and activate the immune system in a way that results in chronic inflammation," study author Fangqi Guo, a postdoctoral research fellow at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in L.A, told Newsweek.

This inflammation can lead to increased cardiovascular activity and injury to the blood vessel walls, which can increase the risk of blood clots.

"In addition, adolescence is a critical period for development of hormone signalling pathways. Changes in stress hormone signalling...and cortisol during this period may have long-lasting impacts on one's cardiometabolic health," said Guo.

These cardiometabolic health concerns encompass a range of different issues, including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressures and obesity, all of which contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. "Understanding the effects of perceived stress starting in childhood is important for preventing, lessening or managing higher cardiometabolic risk factors in young adults," Guo said.

In their study, published in the journal of the American Heart Association, the team analyzed information from the Southern California Children's Health Study—a large, long-term study of over 12,000 children—to investigate the effects of environmental factors in children's health and well-being that has been going for over 30 years.

From this large cohort, the researchers reviewed data on 276 participants to investigate perceived levels of stress during adolescence and early adulthood. "Our study initially measured adolescents' perceived stress levels when they were 13 years old," Guo said. "We found that consistently high stress from age 13 to young adulthood affects one's cardiovascular health in adulthood."

Guo said that even she was surprised by their results. "Although we assumed that perceived stress patterns should have some association with cardiometabolic endpoints, we did not expect such consistent patterns across various outcomes," she said. "Our findings suggest that perceived stress patterns over time have a far-reaching effect on various cardiometabolic endpoints including fat distribution, vascular health, and obesity. This finding highlights the importance of stress management as early as in adolescence, as a health protective behavior."

While more work is required to understand the mechanisms behind this association and at what age these long-term impacts begin to take place, Guo said that their findings were an important sign that stress during our teenage years should be taken seriously.

"Our findings suggest that people with a decreasing stress pattern from adolescence to adulthood show better heart health compared to people with consistently high stress level," Guo said. "Therefore, we suggest promoting healthy coping strategies for stress management early in life, which may help prevent development of risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases."

If you are struggling with stress, the American Heart Association has suggested a few simple techniques:

• Positive self-talk—reframe your thoughts from "I can't do this" to "I'll try my best."
• Take deep slow breaths.
• Go for a walk or exercise.
• Break down big problems into smaller, more manageable issues.
• Try meditation or yoga.
• Meet a friend or talk to a family member.

And, if you are the parent of a struggling teen, the AHA recommend the following:

• Communicate—ask them how they are feeling and let them know you are there to listen.
• Encourage healthy behaviors—support them in simple behaviors such as sleeping, healthy eating, exercise and reducing screen time.
• Be a good example—take care of your own physical and mental well-being
• Know when to get help—sometimes professional help is needed and there's no shame in reaching out for extra support.

Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about stress? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.