Work-related stress caused by job strain and an imbalance between efforts applied vs. rewards received may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, according to published in the . Also known as AFib or AF, atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrhythmia—an abnormal heart rhythm.
It can lead to stroke, or other cardiovascular complications. More than 12 million people are projected to have AFib in the United States by 2030, according to the American Heart Association's . Previous research linked high job strain and effort-reward imbalance at work with an increased risk of coronary .
This research is the first to examine the adverse effect of both psychosocial stressors at work on , said the study's senior author Xavier Trudel, Ph.D., an occupational and cardiovascular epidemiologist and associate professor at Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
"Our study suggests that work-related stressors may be relevant factors to include in preventive strategies," Trudel said. "Recognizing and addressing psychosocial stressors at work is required to foster healthy work environments that benefit both individuals and the organizations where they work." Trudel and team studied the impact of job strain, which refers to a in which employees face high job demands, such as a heavy workload and tight deadlines, and low control over their work with little say in decision-making and how they execute their tasks.
Another factor assessed in the study was the effor.