Stress at work promotes premature death in men

How does stress at work affect men??

A recent large-scale study on the impact of workloads on health has found dramatic effects on premature death rates among men when they have demanding jobs with little control over their workload.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki and University College London found in their recent research that it can have massive negative effects on men's health and longevity if they are engaged in demanding work and are exposed to heavy workloads. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology".

Too much stress is unhealthy for the human body. Researchers found in a study that work-related stress in some men can lead to a greatly increased risk of premature death. (Image: Rido / fotolia.com)

Men with pre-existing conditions were particularly at risk

The experts found that men with diabetes, heart disease or stroke had a 68 percent increased risk of dying during the study if they had demanding jobs with little control over their workload.

How to tackle stress in the workplace?

The results of the 14-year study highlight the high stress levels at work and highlight the need for companies to help the most vulnerable men by transforming their jobs, reducing their workload or even retiring early for health reasons the medics.

Companies should consider cardiometabolic disorders

While many previous studies have only looked at how stress can increase the risk of physical and mental health problems, it has now been analyzed how stress at work affects people with cardiometabolic disease. There are people who are at particular risk, says study author Professor Andrew Steptoe from University College London. In the future, companies should think about who is at particular risk from existing diseases and how these people can be helped, the expert adds.

More than 100,000 subjects participated in the study

The study included more than 100,000 people from Finland, France, Sweden and the United Kingdom. These participants were with and without cardiometabolic disease. At the beginning of the study, each person answered a lifestyle, work and health questionnaire. At the end of the study, a total of 3,841 participants died, say the scientists.

How was the workload assessed??

The researchers evaluated the workload of humans in two different ways. The so-called job burden has been defined as a demanding task where people have little control over their requirements. The second review looked at the imbalance between effort and reward, such as when people put a lot of effort into their work but are not paid well enough.

Stress can be almost as harmful to some men as smoking

Men with cardiometabolic disease with a challenging job had a 68 percent greater risk of premature death compared to men with a calmer, less stressful job. This risk persisted when various factors, such as lifestyle or health, were included. The results suggest that for men with pre-existing cardiometabolic disorders, stress at work is almost as harmful as smoking and more dangerous than obesity, high cholesterol and sedentary lifestyle.

Results were only for men

The most striking finding of the study is the disproportionate impact on men's health. The doctors found that neither the workload nor the career-reward imbalance affected the mortality rate of women in the study. The difference is probably due to direct biological stress effects, the experts explain. For example, the amount of production of the stress hormone cortisol differs between men and women. Stress also increases blood pressure and may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in people who already have hardened arteries (called arteriosclerosis or arteriosclerosis), the researchers say.

Men are more likely to suffer from atherosclerosis

The stress-mortality relationship was found in males but not in females. This is consistent with the fact that atherosclerosis is more common in men of working age than in women, the researchers explain. A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of premature death, but other interventions, such as stress management courses, job reorganization or reduced working hours, can help vulnerable people, the doctors add. (As)