Jan. 17, 2005 – The pressure of a tight deadline at work would six-fold the risk of having a myocardial infarction in the next 24 hours, Swedish study finds1.
This conclusion was drawn from an analysis of data collected from 1,381 participants, aged 45 to 70, who suffered a first heart attack.
It was suspected that stress at work could have an effect on health, but it would be the first study to show that a specific circumstance related to work can trigger a heart attack in such a short time.
Thus, the participants who answered yes to the question “Did you have to face a stressful deadline at work? Were six times more likely to have a myocardial infarction within 24 hours of this event.
In addition to the deadlines, the researchers were able to establish an association between various working conditions, such as increased responsibilities or a layoff, and an increased risk of heart attack. Participants were asked to answer questions like: “Is your work appreciated by your boss?” “; “Has your workplace recently changed? “; “How stressful do you feel while performing your duties?” “.
The researchers examined this data by taking into account the events in the personal lives of the participants in order to discern its influence on the onset of a heart attack. The general health of the participants was also assessed. Subsequently, the authors performed a comparative analysis with 1,697 individuals who had never had a myocardial infarction.
The organization of work in Western countries has undergone many transformations in recent years. New technologies, job insecurity and competition are some of the factors that increase the stress experienced by workers in many employment sectors. Jette Möller, chief researcher of this study, believes that more attention needs to be paid to the consequences of these changes on the physical health of the population. The authors wish to see other studies confirm their results.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
According to New Scientist.
1 Moller J, Theorell T, de Faire U, Ahlbom A, Hallqvist J, Work related stressful life events and the risk of myocardial infarction, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, January 2005, Vol. 59, No 1, 23-30.
