Work and Social Tensions Increase Women's Risk of Coronary Heart Disease
- According to a new study, the combined effects of stress from social interaction and paid work increase women's chances of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) by 21%.
- The study also found that high-stress life events were associated with a 12% increased risk of developing CHD, while social tension increased the risk by 9%.
- If accurate, these findings could help women reduce their risk of developing coronary heart disease by focusing on ways to prevent or manage work and social tensions.
The link between psychosocial stress and coronary heart disease appears to be stronger in women than in men. It can also vary depending on the type of stress or stressor.
However, it is not clear how different types of psychosocial stress impact a woman's risk of developing coronary heart disease.
For this reason, a team of researchers from Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health in Philadelphia, PA, decided to investigate the relationship between psychosocial stressors — including work tension, stressful life events, and social tension — and the incidence of CHD in women.
They combed through data collected as part of the Women's Health Initiative Observation Study (WHIOS), to assess the independent and combined impact of stressful life events, social relationships, and paid work.
Their findings, which appear in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggest that work and social tensions appear to have a double impact, increasing women's risk of developing coronary heart disease by 21%.
Stressful life events and social tensions, i.e. negative aspects of social interactions or relationships, also increased women's risk of developing CHD by 12% and 9%, respectively.
"Our findings are an important reminder to women, and those who care about them, that the threat of stress to human health should not be ignored," said Dr. Conglong Wang, lead author of the study. "This is particularly relevant during the stress caused by pandemics."
If true, these findings could shift the focus of coronary heart disease prevention in women from managing current stress to finding ways to prevent stress at its source.
It will also be a sobering reminder that stress is a major threat to humans, women in particular, and that this threat must be addressed promptly and appropriately. Stress and CHD
Over the past few years, several large studies have established that psychosocial stress from different aspects of life can have an impact on the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
This may be because psychosocial stress can disrupt homeostasis — the optimal internal functioning of organs and systems — that can lead to disease.
As a result, stress can increase inflammation and cardiovascular reactivity, resulting in metabolic changes that increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Psychosocial stress is also associated with behavioral patterns such as alcohol consumption, smoking, or being physically inactive. Certain medical conditions, including diabetes and hypertension, also affect the risk of CHD.
Stress can affect men and women differently. Findings from several studies suggest that the link between psychosocial stress and coronary heart disease may be stronger in women than in men.
In one study, women were more likely than men to document high average stress levels and associated emotional and physical symptoms, including fatigue and depression.
Another study found that women may be exposed to psychological stress that men experience less often.
However, scientists still don't know how different stressors affect a woman's risk of developing coronary heart disease. It is therefore not clear which stressors most affect the risk of developing this condition.
This makes it difficult for health care professionals to advise women on how best to reduce the chances of developing CHD. It also means women can't be sure which causes of stress are most important to overcome to prevent coronary heart disease. Work and social tensions
In the new study, the research team analyzed data collected as part of WHIOS, an initiative that aims to find better ways to prevent heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis in women.
The scientists analyzed data from 80,825 women living in various states across the United States who had gone through menopause.
Participants were aged 50-79 when WHIOS started tracking them, and the average time women were tracked was 14 years and 7 months. Women assessed the causes of stress in WHIOS using self-reporting questionnaires.
After adjusting for variables such as working life, socioeconomic factors, age, and additional stressors, the researchers found a score of stressful life events increased the risk of developing CHD by 12%, and social tension was high — by 9%.
The team also noted that the impact of work and social tensions appeared to work synergistically, increasing the risk of female CHD by 21%. Work tension alone is not associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease.
These findings could have important implications for how health care professionals and women themselves decide to best cope with stress to reduce their risk of CHD. Limitation
It should be noted that most of the participants in the study were white and had more than a high school diploma. The team's findings could also be influenced by "healthy worker bias," which he thinks less healthy people are most likely to be out of work.
In addition, the team did not take into account other important compounding factors, such as working hours and social support systems, associated with coronary heart disease.
In addition, the scientists focused only on the impact of a person's latest or current work-related stress, ignoring work changes throughout life.
The researchers write that more research is needed to determine the impact of job demands because it is in line with sex.
A person's gender and socioeconomic status can also affect their ability to manage stress. That's why future research should also identify subgroups of people who are more likely to benefit from preventive stress interventions than others.
However, these new findings help drive the need for more advanced and diverse research exploring the relationship between stress, heart disease, and gender or gender.
They can also encourage health care professionals and women to reconsider their best options to reduce the risk of CHD and improve overall health.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the ongoing pressure for women to balance paid work and social stressors. We know from other studies that work tension may play a role in developing coronary heart disease, but now, we can better demonstrate the combined impact of stress at work and at home on these poor health outcomes. “
Dr. Yvonne Michael, senior author and professor at the Dornsife School of Public Health
"My hope is that these findings are a call for better methods of monitoring workplace stress and remind us of the double burden that working women face as a result of their unpaid work as caregivers at home."
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