Lorenzo Cohen, director of the
oncology department at Texas State has conducted a recent study that links
depression with cancer. Cohen believes
that with chronic depression you have a greater risk of death.
Cortisol is
known as the stress hormone, and with constant high amounts of cortisol is can
potentially deactivate the inflammatory regulations. This is what causes the body tissue to become
desensitized. Cortisol is a hormone
released from the adrenal gland.
Generally in the morning cortisol levels are high, but throughout the
day they decrease as your stress levels might.
A person who has depression though has high cortisol levels throughout
the day. With high cortisol levels this
can increase to risk of mortality. The
body then is unable to regulate the inflammatory response. Researchers have been documenting the
psychological disorders and the survival rate of these patients. Generally the survival rate depends of the
deregulation of the inflammatory process.
Scientist
Sheldon Cohen, who does research is psychology, had linked chronic stress with
the body losing the ability to perform with the inflammatory response. Cohen’s team of researchers discovered that
the increase in inflammatory response is then causing the skin to become
desensitized. The problem with this is
that the inflammatory response is what prevents the body from diseases and
infections. With chronic inflammation
disease can arise such as diabetes, arthritis, depression as well as
cancer. This is where the cortisol
hormone becomes linked to cancer. Cancer
already causes enough stress, so generally if this stress is not treated then
the chances of mortality increase drastically.
These scientists want to suggest to cancer patients to get involved in
stress management. Stress management can
also be used for patients of inflammatory diseases too.
Lorenzo
Cohen wants to conduct a study of patients with cancer and depression and treat
the depression. With this he wants to
see if the rate of survival, and health is greater than patients who have not
been treated. Until that happens Cohen
continues to urge his patients to release their stress by different soothing
activities, or getting needed help. For
some patients to become stress free they may get psychiatric therapy, or take medication
to get rid or their stress. Other
patients may try activities such as yoga, or meditation. Treating stress can be consuming especially
if you also have a life disease, but it can potentially change your life and
improve your outcome of survival. Cohen
also states that once their stress has been solved to increase their physical
lifestyle, being healthy can as well prolong survival.
John
Steinbeck once wrote "A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a
germ," After reading this article you begin to get a better understanding
of what John was saying.
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