Does Chronic Stress Increase the Risk of Autoimmune Disease? What Leaders Need to Know
- Dec 31, 2025
- 4 min read
At Ask Dr Annika, we empower executives and high-performing professionals to transform stress into strength. Led by Dr. Annika Sörensen, a seasoned physician and stress & business mentor, our approach fuses medical science, mindset mastery, and real-world strategy. Here, you’ll find tailored mentoring, leadership tools, and stress management practices to thrive without burnout.
Leadership often demands resilience under pressure. Tight deadlines, constant decision-making, and high expectations are frequently treated as the price of success. But an important question deserves closer attention: Can chronic stress increase the risk of autoimmune disease?
This isn’t a dramatic claim or a wellness buzzword. Growing scientific evidence suggests that prolonged stress can disrupt immune regulation in ways that may contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions. For leaders operating in sustained high-pressure environments, understanding this connection is not optional, it’s essential for long-term health and performance.
Let’s explore what science says, how stress affects the immune system, and what leaders can do to protect their health before symptoms escalate.
How chronic stress affects the immune system
The human stress response is designed for short-term survival. When the brain perceives a threat, it activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, triggering the release of cortisol and adrenaline. In acute situations, this response is adaptive and protective.
Problems arise when stress becomes chronic.
Long-term elevation of cortisol alters immune signaling. Research shows that sustained stress exposure can impair T-cell function, increase inflammatory cytokines, and disrupt immune tolerance. This mechanism allows the immune system to distinguish between harmful invaders and the body’s own tissues.
Over time, this immune dysregulation may contribute to the development or worsening of autoimmune conditions. Reviews of psychoneuroimmunology research confirm that chronic stress can interfere with both innate and adaptive immune responses, promoting inflammation and immune imbalance.
Stress and autoimmune disease: What research shows
The link between chronic stress and autoimmune disease is no longer theoretical. Large-scale population studies provide compelling data.
A landmark cohort study published in JAMA followed individuals diagnosed with stress-related disorders and found a significantly increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases compared to matched controls. The elevated risk persisted across multiple autoimmune conditions and age groups.
Mechanistically, chronic stress influences immune regulation through the HPA axis and sympathetic nervous system, contributing to immune dysregulation associated with autoimmune pathology.
Importantly, stress is not usually a single cause but a contributing factor, one that can lower the threshold for autoimmune activation in genetically or environmentally vulnerable individuals.
Why leaders are particularly vulnerable
Executives, founders, and senior leaders often operate in environments that normalize prolonged stress. High responsibility, limited recovery time, frequent travel, and constant cognitive demand create a perfect storm for physiological strain.
What makes leadership especially risky is not intensity alone, but duration. Many leaders push through early warning signs – fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, recurring infections, assuming they are temporary inconveniences rather than signals of immune strain.
The immune system, however, does not distinguish between “productive stress” and harmful stress. It responds to sustained activation with measurable biological changes, regardless of professional status or achievement.
Early warning signs leaders should not ignore
Autoimmune disease rarely appears overnight. It often develops gradually, with subtle signals that are easy to dismiss in high-performing individuals, including:
Persistent fatigue that does not resolve with rest
Brain fog or reduced cognitive clarity
Muscle or joint pain without clear injury
Recurrent infections or slow recovery
Chronic skin issues or inflammatory flare-ups
Recognizing these signs early allows for intervention before immune dysfunction becomes entrenched.
Practical strategies to reduce stress-related immune risk
The goal is not to eliminate stress, that is neither realistic nor necessary. The focus is on regulating stress responses and supporting immune balance.
Regulate the stress response daily: Short, consistent mindfulness or breathing practices can reduce cortisol levels and improve nervous system regulation. Even five minutes of intentional breathing can shift physiological stress markers.
Protect recovery time: Cognitive performance depends on recovery. Schedule buffer time between meetings, reduce after-hours digital exposure, and create clear work-rest boundaries.
Prioritize sleep as a biological necessity: Sleep deprivation amplifies inflammation and cortisol dysregulation. Aim for consistent sleep timing, reduced evening screen exposure, and adequate duration.
Monitor health proactively: Routine checkups, inflammatory markers, and discussions with healthcare providers about persistent stress symptoms allow for early detection and prevention.
Model sustainable leadership: When leaders prioritize health, it reshapes organizational culture. Teams mirror leadership behavior, reducing collective burnout and improving long-term performance.
Resilient leadership starts with biological awareness
Understanding that chronic stress can contribute to autoimmune disease reframes health as a strategic asset, not a personal indulgence. Resilience is not about endurance alone, it is about recovery, adaptability, and self-regulation.
Leaders who care for their nervous and immune systems lead with greater clarity, consistency, and longevity. Sustainable leadership begins in the body, not just the boardroom.
If you’d like to explore evidence-based strategies to reduce stress and build long-term resilience, you can learn more about my leadership mentoring and resources here.
Because when your system is regulated, your leadership follows. – Dr. Annika
Read more from Annika Sörensen
Annika Sörensen, MD, Stress Strategist & Calm Creator
Dr. Annika Sörensen is a Medical Doctor, Stress Management Mentor, Author, and International Speaker on topics revolving around the successes brought by less stress, including financial and business success. She specializes in health and stress strategies and has a solid background in Swedish Public Health Care for 30 years. With profound personal, clinical, and scientific knowledge about the subject of stress, she made it twice to TEDx. She is officially certified by The Big Talk Academy. Today, Dr. Annika is helping stressed-out Business Leaders slow down, reflect, feel less stress, and then ramp up and get more done and create bigger success without having to work harder. She does it through speaking and workshops.
