A stressful job where men are undervalued could double the risk of being diagnosed with coronary artery disease.
One study looked at nearly 6,500 white-collar workers in Canada, including managers, technical staff and office workers.
Researchers surveyed them to see if their job rewards, such as recognition, raises and promotions, were less than the amount of effort they put in.
The study also measured ‘work pressure’ – which was higher when a job was demanding and the employee had little control over their work tasks.
Men with any of these problems were almost 50 percent more likely to develop coronary heart disease.
Researchers found that men in stressful jobs who feel undervalued have the same risk of heart disease as someone who is obese
Men with both work problems were twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease while their health was monitored for an average of 18 years.
That’s the same risk of the condition that comes from obesity.
Experts say decades of feeling unappreciated and stressed at work can increase blood pressure, strain the heart or contribute to the hardening of the arteries that cause coronary heart disease.
There are 2.3 million people in Britain who suffer from coronary artery disease (CHD), which happens when the heart’s blood supply is blocked by hardened arteries and often causes severe chest pain called angina and shortness of breath.
The study found no higher risk of coronary heart disease due to work stress in women.
However, this may be because women tend to develop the condition later in life and it is less common for them.
Dr. Mathilde Lavigne-Robichaud, who led the research at Laval University in Quebec, said: ‘Giving people more control over their work, more recognition and better work-life balance could help improve men’s heart health.
‘More research is needed into the effects of making work less stressful for women, but there is some evidence that this would reduce their risk of depressive symptoms.
‘Given the amount of time we all spend at work, these results are of great importance.’
People in the survey were considered to have demanding jobs, based on questions such as whether they had many responsibilities and tight deadlines.
They felt a lack of control if, for example, they had little say in their work tasks or decisions, or if their job was insecure.
People with high demands and a lack of control at work were categorized as having a high workload, putting them at a 49 percent greater risk of coronary heart disease, the study suggests.
People answered nine questions about the effort they put in at work, and nine about work rewards, such as good pay and recognition.
When the effort outweighed the reward, they also had a 49 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease.
That compares with the estimated 42 percent risk of heart disease associated with high cholesterol, and the 35 percent risk associated with smoking.
It is also close to the 52 percent risk associated with a family history of cardiovascular disease.
The study, published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, examined 3,118 men who were free of heart disease, 571 of whom developed CHD during the 18 years they were followed.
It included 3,347 women without heart disease, 265 of whom were diagnosed with CHD.
Even taking into account other stressful life events, total hours worked and health factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, men were more likely to develop the heart disease if they had a high level of work pressure or were not fully rewarded for their efforts . .
Nearly a quarter of people had one of these work problems.
Previous studies have shown mixed or inconclusive results about how work stress affects heart disease, but the researchers suggest these did not look at men and women separately or track people’s health for long enough.