Work Stress / Associated with heart problems for older workers

Work stress has been linked to an increased heart attack risk in older men, according to new research.

A study published in Occupational Medicine found that older men with stressful jobs and little power to make decisions were at a higher risk of heart problems than their counterparts with less job strain.

In fact, older male workers who had had a heart attack or unstable angina were four times more likely to have high job strain than those who did not.

It was also found that with increasing years of employment, where the worker is experiencing job strain, average levels of blood pressure go up.

Considering these findings, businesses may want to introduce employee benefits such as flexible benefits in a bid to tackle job strain.

Job strain was considered to be a mixture of high job demands and low control at work.

While a link was found between high levels of job strain and heart problems in older workers, this association did not present itself in younger people.

Vera McCarthy, the study’s lead author, commented: “This study is important as it provides information on older workers necessary to inform policy-makers, clinicians, OH physicians and employers.”

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via Work stress ‘linked to heart problems in older employees’.