Heart study suggests need to redefine risk of stress
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.STRESSED executives may soon be able to take 'increased risk of heart disease' off their list of worries, according to research.
Early results of the Whitehall study of 10,340 civil servants show that it is the lowest grades who are most likely to be affected by stress-linked heart disease.
Michael Marmot, professor of epidemiology and public health at University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, said that lack of control over daily events seemed to be the key to harmful stress at work.
It was true that 30 years ago the heart disease epidemic took its toll on executives. Then, they smoked more, ate a richer diet and took less exercise than people in lower social classes, he said yesterday, before the annual meeting of the British Heart Foundation.
While smoking, fat and lack of exercise continued to be important risk factors for everyone, researchers were trying to tease out other complex reasons to explain why some people suffered from heart disease and others did not, Professor Marmot said.
The British Heart Foundation has given a further pounds 500,000 to the Whitehall II study. The subjects are examined for angina and asked about their work, lifestyle, domestic, social and financial circumstances.
Professor Marmot said: 'The lowest grades had three times the heart disease mortality of the highest grade and the difference was not adequately explained by variations in smoking habits. We have found the lower the employment grade, the higher the prevalence of angina, inadequate blood supply and chronic bronchitis.'
The findings support Swedish studies showing a direct link between stress and blood clotting. The suggested chain of events is that lower social position leads to poorer working conditions, where overwork and lack of control are more likely. Increased heart disease levels appear to follow.
The lowest grades of worker in the English study have higher levels of fibrinogen in their blood, the substance which leads to the formation of blood clots.
'It seems that people who are hostile are more likely to have heart attacks, and hostility was more common in the lower groups,' Professor Marmot said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments