Job stress, cholesterol boost cardiovascular disease risk

Women with high job stress more likely to have heart disease

Women who have high job stress may be at 40 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease like myocardial infarction or heart attack and vascular disease, compared to those with low job stress, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

The study also found job insecurity - the feeling of losing a person's job - was associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, increased cholesterol and excess body weight.  But it was not directly correlated with heart attack, stroke, invasive heart procedure or cardiovascular death.

Michelle A. Albert, M.D., M.P.H., at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston and colleagues analyzed data on job insecurity and job stress in 17,415 healthy women who were followed for more than 10 years for the Women's Health Study.

Women who reported high job stress were at 40 percent higher risk for heart attack, ischemic stroke, coronary artery bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty and death, compared with those who had low job stress.

High job stress alone was linked with about 88 percent increased risk of heart attack, 43 percent increased risk of bypass surgery or invasive procedure.

Cholesterol can be harmful too

Job stress is not the only risk factor for cardiovascular disease or heart disease.

A new review published in the Nov 2010 issue of Canadian Journal of Cardiology suggests that dietary cholesterol and egg yolks increase risk of vascular disease.

Spence J.D. and colleagues said in their report that "there are good reasons for long standing recommendations that dietary cholesterol should be limited to less than 200 mg/day; a single large egg yolk contains approximately 275 mg of cholesterol."

The authors pointed out even though some studies showed no harm from egg consumption in healthy people, the studies often did not have power to detect clinically relevant increase in cardiovascular disease risk in a low-risk population.

These same studies, however, showed that participants who developed diabetes during the observation doubled the risk if they ate one egg a day, compared to those eating less than one egg a week, according to the review.

"Dietary cholesterol, including egg yolks, is harmful to the arteries. Patients at risk of cardiovascular disease should limit their intake of cholesterol," Spence and colleagues said in their report.

"Stopping the consumption of egg yolks after a stroke or myocardial infarction would be like quitting smoking after a diagnosis of lung cancer: a necessary action, but late."

The authors said evidence in the their review suggests the widespread misconception among the public and health professionals that dietary cholesterol is harmless is misplaced and should be corrected by improving education.

Jimmy Downs