The study, ‘Job strain and atrial fibrillation’, published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, found being stressed at work was associated with a 48% higher risk of atrial fibrillation, which is the most common form of heart rhythm disorder.
The study also claimed the most stressful jobs are often psychologically demanding, but give staff little control over their work situation, and cited assembly line workers, bus drivers, secretaries and nurses as prime examples.
The study examined more than 13,200 people who enrolled into the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey and Of Health.
“We need people to do these jobs, but employers can help by making sure staff have the resources required to complete the assigned tasks,” said study author and Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Jonkoping University in Sweden, Dr Eleonor Fransson.
“Bosses should schedule breaks and listen to employees’ ideas on how the work itself and the work environment can be improved.”
Atrial fibrillation causes between 20-30% of all strokes and increases the risks of dying prematurely.
According to the study, one in four middle-aged adults in Europe and the United States will develop atrial fibrillation, and by 2030 there will be between 14 and 17 million patients with the condition in Europe alone.
The findings of the study correlate with several others, including a Danish study of more than 12,000 female nurses, that suggested the association between work pressure and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was strongestamong the younger nurses (those aged under 51).
“In the general working population in Sweden, employees with stressful jobs were almost 50% more likely to develop atrial fibrillation,” added Dr Fransson.
“The estimated risk remained even after we took into account other factors, such as smoking, leisure time physical activity, body mass index and hypertension.
“Work stress has previously been linked with coronary heart disease,” she added. “Work stress should be considered a modifiable risk factor preventing atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease.
“People who feel stressed at work and have palpitations or other symptoms or atrial fibrillation should see their doctor and speak to their employer about improving the situation at work.”
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
