Work stress

WORK-RELATED STRESS RAISES RISK OF HEART DISEASE: A new study provides more evidence that work-related stress can raise the risk of heart disease. The long-running study involving more than 10,000 British civil servants found that people who were chronically stressed, meaning they were determined to be under severe pressure, had a 68 percent higher risk of developing heart disease, with the link strongest among people under 50.

Epidemiologist Tarani Chandola said that both biological changes and behavior are likely responsible. Stressed workers had lowered heart variability, which is a sign of a poorly-functioning weak heart, and higher-than-normal levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol in the blood stream can damage blood vessels and the heart. On the behavioral side, stressed workers are more likely to eat unhealthy food, smoke, drink and not exercise, all of which are linked to heart disease.