Stress at work can double risk of potentially deadly irregular heartbeat, study finds
14 August 2024, 11:39
Work-related stress can double the risk of a potentially deadly heart condition, a new study has warned.
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Job strain - and a perceived lack of reward in the workplace are associated with a much greater chance of an irregular heartbeat or atrial fibrillation (AF).
A study of Canadian office workers found that those with high strain and for whom significant effort was met with low reward, eg salary or recognition, faced a 97% higher chance of developing the condition.
The findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, also showed that high job strain alone was associated with an 83% higher risk of developing AF, while effort-reward imbalance alone was associated with a 44% greater risk.
Prof Trudel, of Laval University in Quebec, Canada, said: “Our study suggests that work-related stressors may be relevant factors to include in preventive strategies. Recognising and addressing psycho-social stressors at work are required to foster healthy work environments that benefit both individuals and the organisations where they work.”
The research team examined medical records for more than 5,900 adults in white-collar jobs in Canada, with 18 years of follow-up data. The average age of the participants was 45 at the start of the study and 65 at the end in 2018. Work stress was assessed from self-reported questionnaires.
They identified 186 cases of atrial fibrillation and in that group, 19 per cent of people reported high job strain, and 25 per cent said they had an imbalance between effort and reward.
Ten per cent said they had both forms of stress at the same time.
Around 1.4 million people in the UK are estimated to have AF.
