High Stress Work is a Significant Risk for Heart Disease in Middle-Age Women

It is long known that men have higher risk for heart disease from high stress jobs.  A new study indicates this is a significant health issue for women as well, especially for middle-age women¹ who were tracked for 15 years.

The study involved nurses between 45 and 64, who were then followed for 15 years.  Only the nurses between ages 45 and 50 developed a significant risk for heart disease based on job stress.  This is most likely because nurses over 50 had other risk factors for heart disease that caused stress not to stand out as the most important variable.

The 45 to 50 year old nurses who reported moderately too much pressure at work had a 60% increased chance of developing heart disease over the next 15 years, whereas those who reported very high stress had a 200% increased risk.

This study is a wake up call for middle age women in high stress jobs.  It means that unmanaged stress, in and of itself, is adequate to speed the onset of heart disease. 

Solutions involve managing stress more efficiently at work whenever possible, having more balancing and relaxing activities when not working, and using extra nutrients to help offset the demands of stress.  You shouldn’t have to spend all weekend trying to recover from your week.  Do enough to feel more in control and to notice that your tolerance for stress is much better.