Work Stress Ups Heart Risk 23 Percent

The most interesting revelation from a recent study of heart health and work stress conducted at University College London Epidemiology & Public Health is not that job stress increases the risk of heart attack. That’s a no brainer. It’s that job stress was defined, in part, as “little freedom to make decisions.” In other words, “just do what you’re told to do, but faster and better.” Ouch! A University College news release reports that researchers looked at 13 European studies conducted between 1985 and 2006 and involving nearly 200,000 people, tracking job stress and the incidence of heart attack. They found 23 per cent higher risks of heart attack for people who reported job strain, even after taking into account factors such as lifestyle, age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Read more from University College London. Read an abstract of the study in The Lancet.