Originally broadcast on National Geographic Channel in 2008. A co-production of National Geographic Television and Stanford University.

Senior producer, Linda Goldman ; director/producer/writer, John Heminway ; editor, David Klagsbrun.

Robert Sapolsky ; narrator, Marcus Lovett.

Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford University neurobiologist, has been advancing our understanding of stress - how it impacts our bodies and how our social standing can make us more or less susceptible. From baboon troops on the plains of Africa, to neuroscience labs at Stanford University, scientists are revealing just how lethal stress can be. Research reveals that the impact of stress can be found deep within us, shrinking our brains, adding fat to our bellies, even unraveling our chromosomes. Yet understanding how stress works can help us figure out ways to combat it and how to live a life free of the tyranny of this contemporary plague.

DVD, widescreen (matted, enhanced); Dolby Digital.

Closed captioned.