Stress at work raises heart disease risk

Stress at work can raise the odds of developing heart disease and diabetes. Researchers at University College London (UCL) have shown that work stress is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, which includes high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, high blood sugar and excess weight. The syndrome is a cluster of characteristics that can lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Many features of the metabolic syndrome can be reversed or improved by bringing lifestyle changes, in particular increasing exercise and losing weight, combined with quitting smoking. The study involved more than 10,000 British civil servants. The scientists found that the higher the stress levels, the greater was the risk of metabolic syndrome. The scientists studied the stress levels of the civil servants over the past 20 years and compared them with components of metabolic syndrome, which were measured between 1997 and 1999. They also recorded lifestyle factors such as drinking, smoking, eating habits and exercise. Men with chronic work stress were nearly twice as likely to develop the syndrome than workers who reported little or no stress.