Stressful work increases the risk of heart disease

Ladies whose work is associated with a high mental burden are 67 percent. more likely to have a heart attack and 38 percent. more likely to experience a different cardiovascular event compared to women in low-stress work, says PLoS ONE.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) looked at questionnaires completed by 22 people. women participating in the Women’s Health Study. The participants were 57 years old on average and worked in the healthcare sector.

Questionnaires were completed for 10 years and concerned, inter alia, risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stress and effort at work, as well as the anxiety associated with the possibility of losing work.

Researchers have defined work with a high mental load as stressful, requires a lot of commitment with little participation in decision-making processes, and is not very creative and does not allow you to fully use your skills.

Both the mental burden and the anxiety related to the possibility of losing a job were associated with the risk factors for heart disease (hypertension, high cholesterol, overweight), but only the mental burden directly influenced the risk of heart attack, stroke, surgery and cardiac surgery (such as angioplasty or Coronary artery bypass graft) and death from heart disease, the researchers say.

Previous long-term studies on the relationship between workload, defined as a combination of mental fatigue and lack of control over work, and the risk of heart disease have so far focused mainly on men and a more narrow spectrum of cardiovascular disorders, says lead author of the study, Dr. Michelle A. Albert. (PAP)

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