A study by Finnish scientists published in Psychosomatic Medicine reveals that men under 30 who work in stressful jobs are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases early.
The researchers defined stressful work as tasks that demand a lot from employees while providing them with limited time and autonomy to complete their assignments.
The study involved 1,020 participants (both men and women) who were part of an ongoing project investigating risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adults. The average age of the participants was 32, and they completed a questionnaire regarding their work conditions and underwent a carotid artery ultrasound.
The results indicated that men working in high-stress environments exhibited more signs of early arterial narrowing compared to their counterparts. However, this finding did not apply to women.
These new findings suggest a potential link between stressful work and atherosclerosis, a condition that impairs blood circulation and can lead to strokes or heart attacks.
Overall, the carotid arteries of men in high-stress jobs were found to be thicker, which is an early sign of atherosclerosis. This correlation remained significant even after the researchers accounted for factors such as smoking habits, weight, exercise levels, and other influences on cardiovascular health.
The lead researcher, Dr. Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen from the University of Helsinki, noted that it is still unclear why stressful work may affect artery health.
She pointed out that the cause could be the direct impact of stress on the nervous system or multiple indirect reasons. For instance, individuals in demanding jobs often exercise less or have poorer diets.
Another question raised is the inconsistency regarding genetics, as the results showed that stressful work was not associated with atherosclerosis in younger women.
According to Dr. Keltikangas-Järvinen, the effects of work on women’s arteries may not yet be apparent at this stage.
Keltikangas-Järvinen stated: “Overall, men develop atherosclerosis earlier than women. At this relatively young age, compared to women, men may be working harder. There is evidence that women reach their most demanding work phase a few years after men. Therefore, if the study were to be repeated in ten years, the genetic inconsistency may no longer exist.”
Huyen Trang (According to Reuters)
