Returning to stressful jobs puts heart attack victims at risk of another attack

Oct 10 2007

According to a new study heart attack survivors who return to jobs which are stressful run the risk of having another heart attack.

The Canadian researchers say their findings highlight the importance of heart attack survivors effectively managing the stress that is associated with their work and the issue is about having control over the workload.

The researchers from Laval University in Quebec followed some 1,000 patients as they returned to the work place and found that over a six year period over 200 suffered another heart problem and it was those with job strain who fared the worse with twice the risk of another heart problem.

Other studies have also shown a link between job strain and a first heart attack, but researchers say there is little information about the association with subsequent heart problems.

They researchers say their findings held up even after other risk factors had been accounted for, including lifestyle, socio-economic group and clinical prognosis.

The authors say more research is needed but the results of their study should be disseminated in cardiac practice and in occupational health services with the aim of reducing job strain for workers returning to work after a heart attack.

Dr. Gilles Dagenais, the senior author of the study who is a cardiologist, says it is important that patients and doctors are aware of this risk.

Other experts support the findings and say helping heart attack patients cope with stress from the workplace has not been given enough priority in cardiac rehabilitation.

The research is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.