Most of us have suspected or experienced firsthand how a stressful working environment can have a negative impact on physical health. A new study has cemented these suspicions, proving that high stress work environments are having serious implications on heart health.
After analysing 13 existing European studies that covered nearly 200 thousand people, a team of British researchers have confirmed that ‘job strain’ is directly linked to a 23 per cent risk of heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease.
‘Job strain’ has been identified as a specific form of stress that, according to the University College London research team, could be attributed to any profession but is most prevalent in lower-skilled workers, like factory production line works.
Professor Mika Kiviimkie associates job strain with other lifestyle choices such as increase in smoking, being less active, and bad eating habits.
Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation, advised that “eating a balanced diet, taking regular exercise, and quitting smoking will more than offset any risk associated with your job.”
