Work-related stress raises the risk of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes.

In a large, multi-ethnic cohort of U.S. adults without cardiovascular disease, individuals experiencing work-related stress were more likely to have poorer cardiovascular health markers. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, analyzed data from 3,579 adults aged 45–84, collected between 2000 and 2002 as part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Cardiovascular health was evaluated using seven metrics—smoking, physical activity, body mass index, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose—each scored from 0 (poor) to 2 (ideal), with total scores ranging from 0 to 14. Work-related stress, reported by 20% of participants through a questionnaire, was associated with 25% and 27% lower odds of achieving average (9–10 points) and optimal (11–14 points) cardiovascular health, respectively, after adjusting for confounding factors.

To mitigate the public health impact of work-related stress on cardiovascular health, the authors recommend prioritizing longitudinal research to explore this association further. They also emphasize the need for robust workplace intervention studies to develop and implement stress management strategies that could improve employee well-being and cardiovascular outcomes.

Lead author Oluseye Ogunmoroti, MD, MPH, of Emory University, and senior author Erin Michos, MD, MHS, of Johns Hopkins University, underscore the importance of addressing work-related stress in promoting cardiovascular health.