Work can greatly increase your risk of heart disease, according to a European Heart Journal study involving more than 10,000 British civil servants over a 12 year period.
"This is the first large-scale population study looking at the effects of stress measured from everyday working life on heart disease," said the lead researcher. "One of the problems is people have been skeptical whether work stress really affects a person biologically."
The team found chronically stressed workers -- people determined to be under severe pressure -- had a 68 percent higher risk of developing heart disease. The link was strongest among people under 50.
Behavior and biological changes likely explain why stress at work causes heart disease, Chandola said. For one, stressed workers eat unhealthy food, smoke, drink and skip exercise -- all behaviors linked to heart disease.
Stressed workers also had lowered heart rate variability -- a sign of a poorly-functioning weak heart -- and higher-than-normal levels of cortisol, a "stress" hormone that provides a burst of energy for a fight-or-flight response.
Bonnie - well, you can't be surprised to see this statistic. If you do not have some semblance of a work/life balance, you may be headed for trouble. Just as inflammatory foods and environmental toxins send out stressor signals that may create a constant inflammatory state, so does chronic stress.
There are so many wonderful ways to manage stress these days. Find the one that works best for you. You can start by improving your quality of life through enjoying what you do in your career!
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