Daily Stress and Microvascular Dysfunction: The Buffering Effect of Physical Activity

Although often short-lived, emotional responsiveness to daily stressors (i.e., routine and sometimes unexpected everyday hassles) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD), morbidity, and mortality. Here, we present the novel hypothesis that a disruption of microvascular homeostasis is a key antecedent. In addition, we postulate that physical activity may mitigate the psychobiological consequences of daily stress, thereby limiting pathophysiological CVD-related sequelae.