Is Your Job Heartbreaking?

Could your job be hazardous to your health? Before you say no, consider that you don’t have to be a skyscraper window washer or firefighter to risk your life on the job. Occupational research shows that high-stress jobs of any kind can affect your heart health, specifically your blood pressure levels, your ability to quit smoking and your chances of having a heart attack or heart surgery.

The role of workplace factors was studied in participants enrolled in the Belgian Stress Project (BELSTRESS), a large, ongoing study looking at the association between perceived job stress and health in men and women. Results from the BELSTRESS study were published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in March, and found that job stress, not surprisingly, raises heart disease risk.