http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/job-stress-strikes-at-heart-of-women-20101115-17uf1.html
Job stress strikes at heart of women Elizabeth Lopatto November 16, 2010 NEW YORK: Women with high-stress jobs face about 88 per cent more risk of a heart attack than if they had low workplace strain, researchers have said. The scientists from Harvard University defined the stressful positions as those with demanding tasks and little authority or creativity. Those jobs were also associated with a 40 per cent greater chance of getting any kind of cardiovascular disease, a study presented on Sunday in Chicago at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions found. Job strain, social isolation and personality traits have been recognised as raising risks in both men and women, the association said. ''The big thing is, what's happening to you now in terms of mental tension has long-term effects on your health,'' said Michelle Albert, the study's senior author, who is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The study analysed job strain in 17,415 people from the Women's Health Study, a US project that began in 1991 and ended last year. Researchers used a questionnaire to determine whether women experienced job strain. The best way to respond to stress may be to increase physical activity, carve out time for soothing activities or meditation, and spend time with a peer group of confidantes, Professor Albert said. Employers may wish to create less-stressful environments, since employees who are under strain are more likely to be ill and not show up to work, she said. Doctors should ask patients about their stress, since the heart-attack risk linked to psychological stress is almost as much as that associated with high levels of blood cholesterol, she said. Stress stimulates a biological response in animals called ''fight or flight'', Professor Albert said. This may raise the heart rate and blood pressure, and may have negative effects on the cells of the heart. Stress can also cause levels of the hormone cortisol to rise, increasing the likelihood of obesity, the website of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota says. Obesity is an additional risk factor for heart disease. Bloomberg [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
