Working woman can raise the risk of heart attack?

High voltage work may increase the risk of heart attack for women

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

July 18, 2012-women with jobs high voltages at high risk of heart attacks and other heart problems, compared to those with lower stress jobs, according to a new study.

"Women have a high job strain, 40% more likely to have cardiovascular events, compared with women who were in the category of low voltage," said researcher Michael a. Albert, MD, MPH, Brigham and women's Hospital cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

High voltage is defined as the high demand and low control, "she said. An example is the work of the factory in which a worker is the pressure to produce.

Then find a surprise. Women in what she calls '' active strain '' jobs--is very demanding, but with high control--the same increased risk in high stress, low control positions.

Insecurity of employment, are not associated with risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems, Albert also found.

A study Published in PLoS ONE.

The researchers followed more than 22000 participants in the long-running health study. The average age of women was 57.

The women were divided into four groups working strain. Deformation work takes into account the requirements and control that has worked. These groups are:

Low voltage: low demand, high controlPassive: with low demand, low controlActive: with high demand, high controlHigh voltage: with high demand, low control

The researchers followed the women for 10 years, wants to see who was one of four types of events. They found:

170 attacks163 heart strokes440 heart procedures such stents, bypass surgery, or angioplasty52 deaths from cardiovascular disease

The researchers took into account other factors that can affect heart health, age, race, education and income.

Even then, they found almost 40% increase in risk of any of the four results in women's groups active or high voltage.

When they just watched nonfatal heart attack, they found that the women in the Group of 67% high voltage higher than those in the low-voltage have one.

Also, they looked at depression and anxiety. These factors explain only about 20% of relationships, Albert tells WebMD. More research is needed to further explain the relationship, "she said.

The instability in the employment sphere, does not appear to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, "she said.

New findings differ from some previous studies, said Mika Kivimaki, PhD, Professor of social epidemiology, University College of London. He reviewed the results.

He has published reports on the stress and cardiovascular disease. Researchers at University College London have long study Whitehall, also known as stress health research &, after more than 10000 British men and women.

It was previously thought that high job demands increase the risk of heart disease, only if the employee is additionally has a bad decision authority at work, "says Kivimaki.

"It is a study of United States women is important because it suggests that this may not be the case. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease was also seen among women who need jobs, combined with high performance management. "

However, he said that the researchers simply the relationship between work stress and heart health, but cannot prove cause and effect.

It's hard to take into account all of the risk factors that can play, said Peter Schnall, MD, MPH, Professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, Irvine.

He is also the Director of the Center for occupational and environmental health programme in the Organization of work and cardiovascular diseases.

"Field studies of stress but now focuses on work strain, but in the last 10 years were registered dozens of work-related risk factors," he tells WebMD.

Among the most dangerous heart factors? Working long hours, low wages and in the face of the threat of harm, he said. For example, a bus driver.

Women with high stress jobs should give extra attention to the way of life, "said Albert. A woman may focus on personal time, doing yoga and meditation or even pray.

Most important? «Find the thing that works for you, to reduce stress, "she says.

Sources: Slopen, PLoS one, July 2012 year. Michelle a. Albert, MD, mph, cardiologist, Brigham and women's Hospital and associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School. Mika Kivimaki, PhD, Professor of social epidemiology, University College of London. Peter Schnall, MD, MPH, a Professor of clinical medicine, University of California, Irvine; Director, Center for occupational and environmental health programme in the Organization of work and cardiovascular disease, University of California Irvine.

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