Is your hectic schedule giving you sleepless nights? It could be more serious than you think. A new study says that a highly stressful job poses a greater risk of heart disease.
Job strain is likely to cause a stroke. In the past, this has been linked to heart attack risk, but not necessarily a stroke. The link between stress and a stroke has been demystified by a new study, which has pooled the results of 14 earlier studies from Europe (between 1985 and 2008). In totality, almost 200,000 adults filled out questionnaires about job strain over a span of nine years. It was found that people with job strain have an increased risk of ischemic stroke, which happens when the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen (when the arteries are clogged). Those with a demanding job and little control over their work environments were said to have high job strain. This accounted for 13 to 22 percent of the participants. For every 100,000 people in Europe, 115 men and 75 women have an ischemic stroke each year. This is a very real concern.
In conclusion, the study said that job strain is hard for an individual to change, and it is the employer’s responsibility to see that working conditions are healthy.
Source: Reuters
