A system model of the metabolic response to stress.

The dynamic interactions of the body's response to stress are extremely complex and can best be understood within the context of an information flow diagram. In this paper such a model is developed from the biochemical equations of glycolysis and from relevant hormonal and behavioral relations. In response to a situation perceived as stressful, the body prepares for physical action by the secretion of many hormones. These hormones mobilize fatty acids and initiate glucose sparing within the body. In modern living, little attitudinal or situational change is normally undertaken to reduce the perception of stress, and the hormones continue to be secreted. As a result, chronically high levels of fatty acids, ketones, cholesterol, and very low-density lipoproteins are maintained and contribute, in the long run, to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. An examination of the flow diagram elucidates the possible pathways leading from the perception of stress to the pathological consequences of the body's response.