Men who are in stressful jobs and are under-appreciated are more prone to heart disease

A recent study published in the journal 'Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes' has revealed a concerning link between job-related stress and inadequate pay in men, highlighting a twofold increase in the risk of heart disease compared to their counterparts not facing these psychosocial stressors.

The research, conducted by Mathilde Lavigne-Robichaud at the CHU de Quebec-University Laval Research Center in Quebec, Canada, pinpointed two specific psychosocial stressors, namely job strain and effort-reward imbalance, as potential drivers of elevated heart disease risk.

In this study, researchers studied 6,500 white-collar workers, with an average age of 45 years old, without heart disease and followed them for 18 years, from 2000 to 2018.

This discovery underscores the critical importance of comprehending the intricate relationship between workplace stressors and cardiovascular health, given the substantial time individuals dedicate to their jobs. Such insights are paramount for safeguarding public health and promoting the well-being of the workforce.

The study's findings highlighted that men who encountered either job strain or effort-reward imbalance faced a 49 per cent higher likelihood of developing heart disease in comparison to those who did not report experiencing these stressors.

Interestingly, for men who reported both job strain and effort-reward imbalance simultaneously, the risk of heart disease doubled in comparison to men who were not exposed to this combination of stressors.

Intriguingly, the influence of psychosocial stress in the workplace on women's heart health remained uncertain and inconclusive based on the study's outcomes.

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