Topic: Work and social strain increase women’s risk of coronary heart disease
According to a new study, the combined effect of stress from social interactions and paid work increases women’s likelihood of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) by 21%.
The study also found that high stress life events were linked with a 12% increase in the risk of developing CHD, while social strain increased the risk by 9%.
If accurate, these findings could help women reduce their risk of developing CHD by focusing on ways to prevent or manage work and social strain.
The relationship between psychosocial stress and CHD seems to be stronger in women than in men. It may also vary depending on the type of stress or stressor.
However, it is unclear how different types of psychosocial stress impact women’s risk of developing CHD.
For this reason, a research team from Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health in Philadelphia, PA, decided to investigate the association of psychosocial stressors — including job strain, stressful life events, and social strain — with the incidence of CHD in women.
They combed through the data collected as part of the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHIOS), to assess the independent and combined impact of stressful life events, social relationships, and paid work.
Their findings, which appear in the Journal of the American Heart Association, indicate that work and social strain seem to pack a double punch, increasing women’s risk of developing CHD by 21%.
Topic Discussed: Work and social strain increase women’s risk of coronary heart disease
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