Work stress and insufficient sleep increases risk of heart disease: Study
| Apr 29, 2019, 11:48 IST
A new study warns the risk of heart disease is high for people who don't get enough sleep and experience work stress. The risk is particularly high for people with hypertension.
"Sleep should be a time for recreation, unwinding, and restoring energy levels. If you have stress at work, sleep helps you recover," study author Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig, of the German Research Centre for Environmental Health and the Medical Faculty, Technical University of Munich, told a news portal. Adding, "Unfortunately poor sleep and job stress often go hand in hand, and when combined with hypertension the effect is even more toxic."
Researchers say close to one-third of people who work reportedly suffer from high blood pressure. In the past, studies have found psychosocial issues can have a huge impact on one's health. The new study investigated how works stress and insufficient sleep increases cardiovascular disease risk in hypertensive workers.
Follow-upresults after 18 years revealed the following:
1. Workers who experienced sleep issues and work stress had an absolute risk of 7.13 per 1,000 person-years compared to 3.05 per 1,000-person years in those with none of these issues.
2. Absolute risks for only one factor, either work stress or poor sleep, were 4.99 and 5.95 per 1,000 person-years.
People who experience both risk factors had a higher chance of premature death due to cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not have sleep issues or work stress.
"These are insidious problems," Professor Ladwig explained. "The risk is not having one tough day and no sleep. It is suffering from a stressful job and poor sleep over many years, which fade energy resources and may lead to an early grave," he further noted.
Researchers hope their findings urge doctors to monitor their patients' blood pressure levels and sleep patterns. "Each condition is a risk factor on its own and there is cross-talk among them, meaning each one increases risk of the other. Physical activity, eating healthily and relaxation strategies are important, as well as blood pressure lowering medication if appropriate," Professor Ladwig told a news portal.
Researchers also urge employers to offer employees stress management and sleep treatments, particularly those with a chronic condition. The findings were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
"Sleep should be a time for recreation, unwinding, and restoring energy levels. If you have stress at work, sleep helps you recover," study author Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig, of the German Research Centre for Environmental Health and the Medical Faculty, Technical University of Munich, told a news portal. Adding, "Unfortunately poor sleep and job stress often go hand in hand, and when combined with hypertension the effect is even more toxic."
Researchers say close to one-third of people who work reportedly suffer from high blood pressure. In the past, studies have found psychosocial issues can have a huge impact on one's health. The new study investigated how works stress and insufficient sleep increases cardiovascular disease risk in hypertensive workers.
Follow-upresults after 18 years revealed the following:
1. Workers who experienced sleep issues and work stress had an absolute risk of 7.13 per 1,000 person-years compared to 3.05 per 1,000-person years in those with none of these issues.
2. Absolute risks for only one factor, either work stress or poor sleep, were 4.99 and 5.95 per 1,000 person-years.
People who experience both risk factors had a higher chance of premature death due to cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not have sleep issues or work stress.
"These are insidious problems," Professor Ladwig explained. "The risk is not having one tough day and no sleep. It is suffering from a stressful job and poor sleep over many years, which fade energy resources and may lead to an early grave," he further noted.
Researchers hope their findings urge doctors to monitor their patients' blood pressure levels and sleep patterns. "Each condition is a risk factor on its own and there is cross-talk among them, meaning each one increases risk of the other. Physical activity, eating healthily and relaxation strategies are important, as well as blood pressure lowering medication if appropriate," Professor Ladwig told a news portal.
Researchers also urge employers to offer employees stress management and sleep treatments, particularly those with a chronic condition. The findings were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).