Can Work Stress Lead To Another Heart Attack?

Dr. Williams answers the question: 'Another Heart Attack Due To Work Stress?'

By
Redford Williams, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Director, Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Duke University Medical Center
May 5, 2008, 2:23 PM ET
1 min read

— -- Question: Can work stress lead to another heart attack?

Answer: Work stress can lead to another heart attack. A recently published paper in the medical literature found that those patients who'd had a heart attack and who were followed up over a two to four year period, that those who'd had continuing work stress, continuing high levels of demands at their job, and a low level of their ability to control how they meet those demands -- these patients were much more likely to suffer a second heart attack or to die.

So, if you've already had a heart attack, and you have a high-stress job, continuing to work in that high-stress job without doing something about it, one way or the other, has been shown to put you at higher risk both for dying, and for having another heart attack.

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