Work stress linked to heart problems

Work-related stress is a major cause of diabetes and heart disease, according to researchers.

Stressed workers are more likely to suffer from ‘metabolic syndrome’ symptoms, including obesity and high blood pressure, the University College London analysis of 10,300 civil servants showed.

Researchers found a clear link between the amount of stress people experience at work and the levels of metabolic syndrome symptoms they exhibited.

Men who experienced chronic work stress were twice as prone to developing the syndrome as men who had no stress, increasing their risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Men and women in lower-paid jobs were also more likely to develop the syndrome.

One possible explanation for the link may be that extensive exposure to work stress damages the nervous system, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.

Other circumstances, such as social class, smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise were also thought to play a part.