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Research we're watching

Mental stress can cause arteries throughout the body to constrict. In people with heart disease, this effect can reduce blood supply to the heart muscle, a phenomenon known as mental stress–induced ischemia. New research suggests that this problem may affect women differently from men.

For the study, 678 adults (average age 63) delivered a speech while researchers measured their blood pressure and heart rate, took imaging pictures of their hearts, and measured the constriction of tiny arteries in their fingers. In women, mental stress–induced ischemia mostly resulted from constriction of tiny arteries. The resulting greater resistance requires the heart to use more force in pumping blood. In contrast, the ischemia seen in men was mostly due to a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. The findings are yet another reminder for people to find ways to avoid and manage mental stress. But they also hint that women's hearts may be more vulnerable to this problem. The study was published online Dec. 21, 2017, by the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

If exercise were available as a pill, experts say, everyone would be taking it. One reason is that exercise is very good at defusing stress. If you exercise � especially right when the stress response is triggered � you burn off stress hormones just as nature intended, instead of letting them pile up.

What's more, just about any form of motion on a regular basis helps relieve pent-up tension. Rhythmic, repetitive movements, such as walking, running, swimming, bicycling, and rowing � and specific types of exercise such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong � actually elicit the relaxation response, too. Regularly engaging in these kinds of activities can help you ward off everyday stress.

While the holiday season brings excitement and activity, it also creates stress for many people, and that can affect children too. With some thought and planning, parents can make the holidays more enjoyable for their kids and themselves.

Being resilient is a skill you can learn and sharpen, andÌýit's never too late to give it a try.

ÌýImage: © Ariel Skelley/Thinkstock

The ability to bounce back from stress or adversity is important throughout life, especially in our older years. That's when we face many transitions, such as health problems; job, income, and home changes; the loss of loved ones; and isolation or separation from friends, grown children, and grandchildren. How we adjust to these changes helps determine what life will look like moving forward. "Many people are living longer, and we want to make the most of these years so people can thrive," says Laura Malloy, the Successful Aging program director at the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.

The benefits of resilience

Coping with stress in a positive way is known as resilience, and it has many health benefits. It's associated with longevity, lower rates of depression, and greater satisfaction with life. "There's a sense of control, and it helps people feel more positive in general," Malloy says.

A trio of studies investigated the connection between the ability to accept the negative emotions generated by stressful situations and a person’s long-term psychological health.

As currently structured, the American health care system makes it very difficult for those with chronic illnesses to manage their conditions, causing them to perform the equivalent of unpaid labor.