Women’s stress can up their risk of heart attack, research says

Women’s stress can up their risk of heart attack, research says

Working women who are often stressed are more likely to develop heart disease or experience a heart attack, a new study which was presented at the American Heart Association meeting last Monday in Chicago reveals.

Researchers examined 17,415 middle-aged working women who were considered healthy. They were asked about the level of stress they encounter at work and correlated them with incidence of heart ailments or the number of predisposing factors to develop heart disease. The study authors found out that stressed-out women had a 40 percent hike in their cardiovascular risk and an 88 percent increase for heart attacks specifically.

Those who were worried about job security did not develop any heart condition but they were more likely to be overweight, hypertensive, and with high levels of cholesterol — all predisposing factors for cardiac disorders.

There have been many studies involving men and stress that show there is clear evidence how stress in men significantly ups the risk of cardiovascular problems. But there are conflicting studies on the effects of stress among women.

Lead researcher Dr. Michelle A. Albert of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School advised women to manage their level of stress by exercising and being socially active. Maintaining a healthy relationship with family and friends are likewise important.

“You can’t get rid of stress, but you can manage it,” Dr. Albert said. “If you have to work when you’re home, since we are all living in an electronic age, limit your time on e-mail. Otherwise you never leave work.”

Posted by George Daniels on Friday November 19 2010, 5:52 AM EDT. Ref: N.Y Times. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0