The association between perceived stress and cardiovascular risk among Jordanian adults

Stress levels are increasingly elevated across all segments and age groups of Jordanian society. Psychosocial stress has been observed to influence the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) in the general population. To evaluate the association between perceived stress and cardiovascular disease risk among the Jordanian population. A cross-sectional study was conducted. People without a history of any cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and aged ≥ 18 years in the Jordanian population were targeted through an online questionnaire. Two validated tools were used: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the INTERHEART non-laboratory (BMI version) risk score. A positive association between perceived stress and cardiovascular risk was revealed, indicating a higher cardiovascular risk with increasing stress levels. A 5-point increase in PSS-10 was associated with approximately 32% higher odds of high cardiovascular risk. Reduced stress levels may be associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk.