Chronic Stress Beats Down Immune System
 (HeathScoutNews, 11/4/02)

Gregory E. Miller of Washington University and colleagues studied 50 parents: half had healthy children; while the other 25 had children who were being treated for cancer. The researchers found that the parents of the ill children suffered more psychological stress and had lower glucocorticoid sensitivity. Glucocorticoids are hormones that signal the body to turn off the inflammatory process that accompanies an infection or injury. If stress dulls the sensitivity to glucocorticoids, the body may not respond to the "shut-off" signal and inflammation will continue, potentially increasing the risk of onset and/or increased severity of cardiovascular disease, arthritis and other chronic conditions that are associated with inflammation. The scientists also found that receiving social support decreased the stress levels for the parents of the sick children and, thereby, lessened this immunologic impairment