Study: Work Stress Increases Heart Attack Risk
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According to new research, depression, anxiety, and work stress are all overlooked factors that raise the risk of a heart attack.
A previous study has revealed that long-term work stress might increase blood cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
The recent study in Germany has revealed that, according to health insurance data, nearly one in every five workers in the country has an increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to psychological issues.
While the study is based on German data, it highlights the impact of worry and poor mental well-being on the heart and, as a result, the risk of premature death for stressed employees worldwide.
Those who participated in the study also had higher health risks for a heart attack, such as smoking, high blood pressure, or obesity.
The research analysed around 232,000 employed individuals in a part of Germany where employees are increasingly absent owing to anxiety disorders or depression.
Work stress raises the risk of heart attack by 23%
Based on a 2012 study, researchers from University College London found that employees with highly demanding jobs and little personal freedom have a considerably higher chance of suffering a heart attack than those of similar age with less stressful jobs.
Mika Kivimäki, the research team leader, said, "The pooling of published and unpublished studies allowed us to investigate the association between coronary heart disease (CHD) and exposure to job strain (defined by high work demands and low decision control) with greater precision than has been previously possible. Our findings indicate that job strain is associated with a small, but consistent, increased risk of experiencing a first CHD event such as a heart attack."
The researchers set out to see if work stress affects the risk of coronary heart disease. They carried out a meta-analysis of 13 European countries. The research lasted from 1985 to 2006. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire at the start of their study. They were asked questions about their decision-making freedom, job demands, heavy workloads, and time-pressure demands.
About 15% (30,214) of the 197,473 individuals reported work stress. Over 7.5 years, there were 2,358 cases of coronary heart disease (coronary death or first non-fatal heart attack).
Even after accounting for socioeconomic status, sex, age, and lifestyle, the 23% increased risk of coronary heart disease remained.
Reducing work stress as a leader
As a leader, there are many ways to play our part in ensuring our employees' well-being are taken care of.
1. Take rest breaks with your employees.
Our employees are not machines; we should not treat them as such. We may create a culture of tea breaks to provide our staff with some fresh air and a respite from work.
Along with the mandated lunch break, this may be an added benefit. These morning and evening breaks can help us better understand our staff. We not only make friends with them but are also introduced to their interests through such tiny efforts.
2. Allow for flexible working hours and remote employment.
You hired your staff because you believe they can execute their jobs well and on time. Now, give them a chance to show it. Your office should not feel like a prison but rather a place where you can get things done. Inform your staff that the quality and timeliness of their work, not when they punch the clock, define their job.
Allow your staff to work remotely and provide flexible start and end timings. This flexibility boosts office morale, and the policy demonstrates to staff that you trust them enough not to babysit them.
3. Always be there for your staff.
We may excite and inspire our personnel by including them in projects. Furthermore, by offering consistent help, we make them feel connected and valued. We can also help them by communicating with them and resolving their professional issues.
This can include issues people regularly encounter while working in the office. Our staff feel more empowered and energised to do well when we support them. This also relieves stress from their minds because they have the opportunity to discuss their job difficulties with us, the employers.
4. Make time for silence.
Although one cannot totally avoid work stress, you may try to lessen it when it occurs. Make sure your staff have a cosy room to take a break.
According to one study, more than 80% of disengaged employees preferred stress-relief breaks, such as a nap, massage, or compulsory break. A tiny room, a lounge area at the end of the corridor, or an outside seat might provide a welcome respite from the chaos of the daily grind.
If your company can afford it, try instituting "No Meeting Mondays" or something similar. This simply means setting off time for employees to focus on individual tasks rather than being bogged down by meetings or overwhelmed by a large workload.