Work-related stress caused by job strain and an imbalance between efforts applied versus rewards received may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), the study has found.
AF is the most common form of arrhythmia, an abnormal heart rhythm. It can lead to stroke, heart failure or other cardiovascular complications. According to the British Heart Foundation, AF impacts over 1.6m people in the UK.
Previous research has linked high job strain and effort-reward imbalance at work with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Xavier Trudel, senior author, occupational and cardiovascular epidemiologist and associate professor at Laval University, has said the research is the first to examine the adverse effect of both psychosocial stressors at work on AF.
He said, “Our study suggests that work-related stressors may be relevant factors to include in preventive strategies.
“Recognising and addressing psychosocial stressors at work are required to foster healthy work environments that benefit both individuals and the organisations where they work.”
The study
Xavier and his team studied the impact of job strain, which refers to a work environment in which employees face high job demands, such as a heavy workload and tight deadlines, and low control over their work with little say in decision-making and how they execute their tasks.
Another factor assessed in the study was the effort-reward imbalance. This occurs when employees invest significant effort into their work but perceive the rewards they get in return, such as salary, recognition or job security, as insufficient or unequal to their performance.
Researchers examined medical database records for nearly 6,000 adults in white-collar jobs in Canada, with 18 years of follow-up data.
The results
The analysis concluded that:
· Employees who said they experienced high job strain had an 83 per cent higher risk of developing AF compared to workers unaffected by the stressors
· Those who perceived an effort-reward imbalance had a 44 per cent greater risk, compared to workers who did not report this imbalance
· Combined perceptions of high job strain and effort-reward imbalance were associated with a 97 per cent increased risk of AF
Xavier said, “The effectiveness of workplace interventions to reduce psychosocial stressors that may also reduce the risk of AF should be investigated in future research efforts.
“Our research team previously conducted an organisational intervention designed to reduce psychosocial stressors at work, which was shown to effectively reduce blood pressure levels.”
He concluded, “Examples of organisational changes implemented during the intervention included slowing down the implementation of a large project to prevent increased workload; implementing flexible work hours; and holding meetings between managers and employees to discuss day-to-day challenges.”