Elections and your heart: cardiology professor available for interview

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Elections and your heart: cardiology professor available for interview

Northwestern assistant professor of medicine Dr. Lindsey Rosman, who studied the cardiovascular effects of the 2016 election, is available for broadcast and print interviews to explain the science behind election stress and to offer tips for staying calm.

In a 2021 study, Rosman and her team found a 77% increase in the risk of cardiac arrhythmias during the six weeks around the 2016 presidential election - regardless of political party.

Below is a Q&A with Rosman to assist in your reporting.

What happens to the heart during moments of acute stress, such as elections?

Acute stress and anger trigger a fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline rises, the sympathetic nervous system ramps up and the calming influence of the vagus nerve decreases. That can change the heart's electrical activity and make abnormal rhythms more likely in someone already prone to them. Stress hormones such as cortisol and inflammation may also play a role. So can stress-related behaviors such as poor sleep, skipped medications, increased alcohol or caffeine consumption, and less exercise.

What do you recommend ahead of and on Election Day for people with or without heart disease?

• Set limits on news and social media. Pick one or two set times to check results, turn off alerts and put screens away an hour before bed. Refreshing all night keeps your stress response switched on and won't change the outcome.
• Focus on the basics: sleep, regular physical activity. Movement is medicine. Avoid relying on alcohol, caffeine or nicotine to cope.
• Use stress-management tools that work for you, such as deep breathing, walks, yoga or talking with friends about things other than politics.
• Ask for help if stress lingers. If anxiety is still disrupting your sleep, work or relationships a week or two after the election, talk to a mental health professional.