Work-related stress can kill, study finds
 

LONDON (Reuters) - Work really can kill you, according to a study on Wednesday providing the strongest evidence yet of how on-the-job stress raises the risk of heart disease by disrupting the body's internal systems.

The findings from a long-running study involving more than 10,000 British civil servants also suggest stress-induced biological changes may play a more direct role than previously thought, said Tarani Chandola, an epidemiologist at University College London.

"This is the first large-scale population study looking at the effects of stress measured from everyday working life on heart disease," said Chandola, who led the study. "One of the problems is people have been skeptical whether work stress really affects a person biologically."

Heart disease is the world's leading cause of death. It is caused by fatty deposits that harden and block arteries, high blood pressure which damages blood vessels, and other factors.

The researchers measured stress among the civil servants by asking questions about their job demands such as how much control they had at work, how often they took breaks, and how pressed for time they were during the day.

The team conducted seven surveys over a 12-year period and found chronically stressed workers -- people determined to be under severe pressure in the first two of the surveys -- had a 68 percent higher risk of developing heart disease.

The link was strongest among people under 50, Chandola said.

"This study adds to the evidence that the work stress-coronary heart disease association is causal in nature," the researchers wrote in the European Heart Journal.

Behavior and biological changes likely explain why stress at work causes heart disease, Chandola said. For one, stressed workers eat unhealthy food, smoke, drink and skip exercise -- all behaviors linked to heart disease.

In the study, stressed workers also had lowered heart rate variability -- a sign of a poorly-functioning weak heart -- and higher-than-normal levels of cortisol, a "stress" hormone that provides a burst of energy for a fight-or-flight response.

Too much cortisol circulating in the blood stream can damage blood vessels and the heart, Chandola said.

"If you are constantly stressed out these biological stress systems become abnormal," Chandola said.

By Michael Kahn Tue Jan 22

Url:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080123/...WD2WYvgE1vA I

Also, if a co-worker is causing you work-related stress,

it can cause you to kill them. :D

True dat :1orglaugh:helpme

i wouldn't doubt it...work stress can really fuck you up

Right Shaze, even if some people keep arguing or love overdo themselves.

anyone who is a doctor and doesn't believe that stress affects a human shouldnt be a doctor. These same docotrs believe in "placebo" - yet they don't think "actual" stress on a person can do bad, while a pill that has no medical qualities can cure?

stress plays a huge role in a humans life.

Pfft, look at Heath Ledger. Good example, right there. Word is he worked so hard on the new Batman movie (and some other movie) that it fucked him up and might be partially to blame for his death. Sucks.

right, I believed that since these days I missed my daily exercise and I was really stressed on my work, I often feel difficulty breathing and I gained lots of weight that it makes me feel like I was really really tired where in fact, I haven't done anything much yet.

he died from a drug overdose, but we know the media won't portray it that way.

he was found nude on the floor surrounded by bottles of pills.

the cause of death is like any other drug addict, overdose. but the media won't portray it that way... the media want's you to think he died from "stress from filming movies" - but he died on the floor from pills.

he overdosed, a shame no media headline has even used the O words (overdose)

example:

the autopsy isnt even done.... but the family is putting out the message his death was "accidental"

he was taking lots of different drugs...

funny how easy it is to overdose, but when you do so on PRESCRIPTION meds or SLEEPING PILLS, they dont consider it an overdose, its an accident.

Fletch,
taking drugs and or drinking too much alcohol can be the sign of stress and OD the end result :(

Stress/anxiety is a major reason why people turn to those pills.

Pills and/or heavy alcoholism are symptoms.

if thats the case i'll be clocking out pretty soon...:Oh crap

Aaaaaaaawww::(:upsidedow

you are talking to someone who drank and did drugs daily for a very long time.... if theres anything i know, its why people turn to substances LOL

the old cliche, it takes one to know one comes to mind.

In that case, I should get started on my will.

thanks for the heads up!
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now i need to leave my work! :thumbsup lol

Point taken.