Can Your DNA Influence Your Stress Levels?

25 Mar Can Your DNA Influence Your Stress Levels?

The almost inescapable and inevitable. We experience it every day, and some experience it much more than others.

Stress.

It affects each one of us in some way or another.

Your tendency to stress too much – or not that much at all – may not just be down to the day-to-day situations that typically cause stress. It may, quite literally, be something you were born with – embedded in your genes.

The COMT Gene’s Influence on Your Stress Levels 

• Warrior Type – The faster dopamine breaks down, the better you handle acute stress, and you therefore have higher COMT activity. However, you may struggle a little with your memory and learning under normal conditions.
• Worrier Type – You have lower COMT activity, resulting in a higher baseline of dopamine. This helps you perform better in relaxed situations, but you may feel overwhelmed or anxious under stress.
• Balanced Type – As the name suggests, this is a mix of both, giving you moderate stress resilience and cognitive flexibility.

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The FKBP5 Gene’s Influence on Your Stress Levels 

The second stress gene is the FKBP5. This gene is involved in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls the release of cortisol. Certain variations of this gene can affect the levels of cortisol released.

• Variants that increase FKBP5 lead to higher cortisol release and elevated stress levels.
• Lower FKBP5 activity means better stress recovery and more resilience.
• How the FKBP5 gene is expressed can also depend on epigenetics. For example, chronic stress can make individuals more sensitive to future stress.

The ACE Gene’s Influence on Your Stress Levels 

The third key stress gene is the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme or ACE gene. This gene plays a role in the regulation of your blood pressure and the cardiovascular system’s response to stress.

• Lower ACE levels are associated with the Insertion allele (almost like adding an extra bead to a necklace, which can change how the necklace looks or works.) or mutation which leads to better endurance and a more moderate blood pressure response to stress.
• The Deletion allele (like removing a bead from the necklace; take one away and the necklace might not look or function the same anymore.) is associated with higher ACE levels and, therefore a more intense response by the cardiovascular system. This means a higher blood pressure and heart rate, which increases stress-related hypertension.

A Happier Day-to-Day from the Inside Out

These three stress genes, COMT, FKBP5, and ACE are key to understanding how your body reacts to stress. Each of these genes is responsible for different reactions. COMT breaks down dopamine in the brain, FKBP5 regulates cortisol, and ACE determines blood pressure and the cardiovascular responses to stress. Knowing whether you have the high-stress or low-stress variants can assist you in managing your stress response more accurately.

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