Ambitious women who are tall and close to exposed positions are more prone to heart attacks, hypertension and cardiac arrest than women who work quietly.
43% of women who perform stressful jobs that require them to give their best are women, according to researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston. more susceptible to these diseases than women who work more quietly in less exposed positions.
A frequent source of stress for women is the difficulty of reconciling demanding work with family responsibilities and the fear of losing their job.
The most vulnerable group are women in high office who are stressed out due to high mental effort, but are unable to use their creative talent. The probability that a woman in this group will be at risk of a heart attack and will require surgical intervention (e.g. bypass implantation) is 88%. higher than in the group of women employed in quiet work.
Until now, it was widely believed that men working under pressure were at risk of developing heart disease. Harvard researchers believe that women are equally susceptible.
A study they presented at the annual conference of the American Society of Cardiologists in Chicago, discussed in the Daily Mail Women’s Supplement, found that women stressed by the prospect of losing their jobs are more likely to be overweight, have high blood pressure and have high cholesterol.
The research was carried out on 17 women aged 400-50 who provided data on their work, level of stress, job security and family life.
According to Dr. Michelle Albert, cardiologists should routinely question women about what pressures they are facing in the workplace. Stressful work should be in the same risk category as smoking and high blood pressure, she suggests.
It is impossible to eliminate stress completely. It also has positive functions for the body. However, we need to learn how to control its negative manifestations and take them seriously, ‘he explains.
Scientists recommend that women separate their professional and private life. For example, they advise against bringing unfinished work home. They recommend physical exercise, as healthy exercise and gymnastics are proven stress relievers. They also emphasize the importance of psychological support from close friends and family.
Dr. Peter Kaufmann of the Maryland Institute of Cardiology, Lung and Blood believes that the Boston study is important because it highlights the link between stress in the workplace and cardiovascular disease. (PAP)