Stressful Jobs Linked With Increased Stroke Risk

Stress in indeed a constant in our lives.

People in passive and active jobs did not have any increased risk of stroke when compared to people placed in the low stress job category.

The extensive analysis and the findings are featuring in the latest edition of the Neurology journal.

Dr. Yuli Huang, lead researcher from the Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, said, “Many mechanisms may be involved in the association between high-stress jobs and the risk of stroke”. “Scientists have theorized that high-stress jobs cause unhealthy behaviors like eating poorly or not exercising or, alternatively, that work-related stress causes activation of stress hormones and inflammation, leading to unstable plaques or even abnormal heart rhythms”.

Active Job. Have high control and demand.

The study said that manual laborers such as miners and janitors were included under the category of passive jobs because they had little control of their job and little demand.

Previous research over the last 2 decades has shown that high-strain jobs increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of social class. However, until now, the effect of work pressure on stroke has been unclear.

In the study, different jobs were categorized based on not only how demanding they are, but also how much control the workers have over their job.

Beware if you have a stressful job: a stroke could be on the horizon, a new study has found. Researchers say that workers need to be aware of the risks of working in a stressful environment.

The researchers noted that those with passive and active jobs can relax because they observe no increased risk of stroke.

The study suggested those in the service industry, such as waitress, nursing aides who work under extreme time boundations and pressure are less likely to have control over their jobs.

People with high stress jobs had a 22 percent greater risk of stroke than those with low stress jobs.

“Based on this study, it is reasonable to consider testing interventions aimed at increasing job control, such as decentralization of decision-making and flexibility in job structure, such as telecommuting”.

Women were found to be at greatest risk.

The researchers also noted that gender made a difference to the figure.

In the case women, they faced a 33% risk of facing a stroke. Ischemic stroke, which is the most common type, is caused by blockage in blood flow to the brain, often because a clot has moved from another area of the body. Employers could redesign jobs to give workers more control over their tasks, and workers could use cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy or other psychological methods, the study authors wrote. Therefore, it is imperative to address these issues immediately, in order to diminish occupational stress and curb its devastating impact on such employees.