Thanks to part 1 and 2 of this series, we are now familiar with the main responses to cellular stress and which organelles it affects. Now, we will be looking at how cellular stress impacts our organs and our health, and how to deal with it.

Conditions linked to cellular stress

Cardiovascular issues

It’s old news: inflammation is a key mechanism when it comes to cardiovascular diseases. One of the first responses of our cells when facing cellular stress is to produce pro-inflammation cytokines that can signal to other cells that there is an issue. This state is only beneficial when temporary. When it becomes chronic, it triggers physiopathological changes such as a stiffening of the arteries, faster heartbeat, and even an increase of atherosclerosis [1].

Diabetes and weight issues

Leptin (our satiety hormone) and glucose are molecules that signal to the brain that it should modulate our food intake. When we eat, our leptin and glucose levels increase, just like our levels of free radicals. When we eat too much and/or too often, neurons become resistant to leptin and more sensitive to free radicals, which feeds the circle that maintains obesity and increases the risk of diabetes [2]. The perturbation of the antioxidant defense system created in that situation triggers changes within the mitochondria, which have a central role in maintaining the balance between antioxidants and oxidants. An excess of glucose increases free radicals production, because the mitochondria are saturated and their control system is disturbed. At the same time, storing too much glucose as fat will start inflammatory processes that will increase free radicals production as well [3].

Neurodegenerative diseases