Work stress linked to ill health

Posted by James Curtis

Contractors who do not speak out when treated unfairly at work could be putting their health at risk, it has been suggested.

Neil Shah, director of the Stress Management Society, said people who are stressed at work normally neglect making healthy choices in other areas of life.

This can cause a "vicious cycle" which could lead to heart disease, he claimed.

Mr Shah's comments follow the recent publication of a Swedish study which suggested men who bottle up feelings of anger and frustration at work double their risk of a heart attack.

The research, which was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, studied the effects of stress on 2,755 men who had not suffered a heart attack when the study began.

A follow up check in 2003 revealed that 47 participants had either suffered a heart attack or died from ischemic heart disease.

Mr Shah said the link could be attributed to the unhealthy decisions that being stressed can lead to.

"Stressed people usually drink more coffee, more alcohol, smoke, or eat more sugar products," he said.

"When you are in a state of stress, those are the kind of substances you crave. All of this puts you in this vicious cycle that basically puts a strain on your heart and it is likely to lead to things like heart disease."