Yes, the autonomic nervous system is responsible for promoting the release of epinephrine from the adrenal glands during times of distress. In particular, this results in the rapid release of stored glucose (glycogen) into the blood stream which leads to a cascade of increased alertness, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. These changes to homeostasis are useful for their purposes, however, the body is incapable of remaining in this state for extended periods of time. Increased heart rate, which results in a need for increased respiration to oxygenate the hardworking cells, can result in a type of heart arrhythmia known as tachycardia. This can lead to structural heart damage, vessel damage, and electrical conduction damage within
