Does work stress lead to atrial fibrillation?

Investigators have examined whether work stress may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the investigators evaluated psychosocial stressors at work, such as high job strain and effort-reward imbalance, among 5,926 white-collar workers who did not have cardiovascular disease at baseline. Job strain was defined as high psychological demands combined with low decision latitude, whereas effort-reward imbalance was defined as high efforts combined with low rewards.

After a follow-up period of 18 years, the investigators identified 186 cases of atrial fibrillation. They found that job strain and effort-reward imbalance affected 25% of the participants. Those who experienced these psychosocial work stressors were at a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation compared with those who experienced low or no stressors.

The investigators concluded that prevention strategies targeting psychosocial stressors at work may be effective at reducing the burden of atrial fibrillation.

Read more: Journal of the American Heart Association

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