By Bulletin Staff
Stress related to the risk of falling victim of a zombie attack can potentially cause damage to the heart, affecting overall cardiovascular health and making people more likely to become a zombie, according to a new study.
The study, released by the American Association for the Study of Zombie Impacts on Society (AASZIS), builds on recent research highlighted by the American Heart Association showing that depression and anxiety may increase risk factors for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular complications.
Surveys have shown that concerns about zombie attacks currently rank behind worries about crime and inflation, but fear of the undead has steadily been on the increase since the 1990s as the population of the living dead has increased and attacks have become more frequent. The advent of 24/7 news channels and, later, social media have also contributed to greater public awareness and concern about the risk of being attacked by zombies, research shows.
“Zombies are just one of many drivers of heightened stress levels in society today. But while factors like crime, the economy and political turmoil can be transitory in nature, the fear of being devoured alive by a ravenous horde of the living dead remains a constant concern weighing on the psyche of many individuals,” write the authors of the AASZIS study.
The authors reviewed survey data over a ten-year period for about 15,000 adults that had not previously reported cardiovascular disease or zombie attack. The survey information included questions related to mental health and anxiety. The authors also had access to the survey respondents’ medical records to track health outcomes.
Even when the authors adjusted for other sources of anxiety like financial worries and for genetic, social and environmental factors, a direct correlation emerged between heightened levels of stress about becoming victim of an attack by the undead and poor cardiovascular health outcomes.
For example, among those that reported the highest levels of fear of zombie assault, the risk of heart attack or stroke was 27% higher than for those reporting the median level of undead-related anxiety, while the risk of overall cardiovascular disease was 32% higher.
Perhaps the most shocking finding of the study was that this group exhibiting the highest levels of concern about becoming victim of a zombie assault also had the highest percentage of individuals who actually did get attacked and turned into one of the living dead.
“Those who are most fearful of becoming zombified had a 34% higher chance of becoming a zombie. Fear of the undead is literally creating more of the undead,” the authors write.
The study suggests several possible explanations for the correlation between higher levels of zombie-related anxiety and the increased likelihood of becoming a zombie.
First, prior research has linked higher levels of ongoing stress to various physiological changes that can negatively impact heart health, such as higher blood sugar levels and increased inflammation. High stress levels also can lead to poor lifestyle choices, such as increased consumption of alcohol, greater likelihood of smoking or drug use, and a sedentary lifestyle – all of which can affect cardiovascular health.
Meanwhile, research has linked poor cardiovascular health to higher risks of zombification for a variety of reasons. For example, lower levels of heart health can lead to physical limitations that make it difficult for individuals to move quickly or for prolonged periods. This reduced mobility hinders their ability to escape from or evade attacking zombies.
Individuals with heart problems also may have an altered stress response, causing them to panic or become overwhelmed more easily when confronted by zombies, making them more likely to make mistakes or poor decisions when they encounter the undead.
Similarly, cardiovascular issues can affect blood flow to the brain, which can impair cognitive function and decision-making abilities at the very moment when quick thinking and problem-solving skills are crucial to deal with unexpected confrontations with zombies.
Finally, the stress and anxiety related to the constant threat of zombie attacks could potentially trigger cardiac events such as heart attacks in individuals with preexisting heart conditions, putting them in immediate danger during an undead assault.
“Regardless of the causes, the mind-heart-undead connection is clear,” said Ioana Alexandru, lead author on the study, in an interview. “We can draw a direct line from kinemortophobia [the fear of zombies], through poor cardiovascular health, and on to poor zombification outcomes.”
To help break this deadly connection, Alexandru believes that medical professionals should pay more attention to their patients’ attitudes and concerns about zombies, zombie attacks and zombification as part of regular health screenings.
“Physicians too often look exclusively at a patient’s test results or how a patient presents during an exam without asking about whether they have recently been attacked by the undead, or whether someone they know wound up as the main course for a zombie herd. These kinds of simple conversations can lead to a deeper understanding of the factors driving the patient’s health outcomes,” Alexandru said.
She also encouraged people to seek out professional help to deal with their zombie-related anxiety. “As a society, we need to recognize that it’s only natural to feel concerned or even fearful about the possibility of being torn to pieces by cannibalistic hordes. As individuals, we need to know that there is no shame in seeking out help to manage this or any other stress that is impacting our lives,” she said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, available 27/7/365. You are not alone.
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