Work-related stress – particularly excessive job stress and effort-reward imbalance, significantly increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation or AFib – a common heart disease that causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat rapidly and irregularly, a new study claims.

According to experts, AFib is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heart rhythm, that can cause the heart to beat much faster than normal, often 140 beats per minute or more — which can lead to heart failure and stroke. A normal resting heart rate is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A-fib can start as short periods of abnormal beating that become longer or continuous over time.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, involved nearly 6,000 white-collar workers in Canada and found that those who experienced high job stress and effort-reward imbalance had a 97 per cent higher risk of AFib than those who did not suffer from these stressors.

Eminent senior author Xavier Trudel, of Laval University in Quebec, said that although previous studies have linked work-related stress to coronary heart disease, this is the first study to examine its effect on AFib.

How does job stress cause AFib?,

Job stress — which includes a high workload and low control over work-related decisions — increases the risk of AFib by more than 83 percent, the study said.

According to statistics, in 2019, it was estimated that 59,671,814 people worldwide had AFib – more than double the 28,273,978 cases in 1990. The prevalence of AF has increased globally, with a 1.1-fold increase in incidence and a 1.4-fold increase in deaths between 1990 and 2019.

Job stress refers to a work environment in which employees are faced with high job demands, such as heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and little control over their work, decision-making, and how to perform their tasks. This causes high anxiety levels that lead to AFib in the long run. Another factor assessed was effort-reward imbalance, which occurs when employees put significant effort into their work but receive little rewards in return, such as pay, recognition, or job security, the researchers said.

Trudell also emphasized the importance of recognizing and addressing psychosocial stressors in the workplace to promote a healthy environment that may help prevent AFib.

How dangerous is AFib?

According to doctors, some types of arrhythmia are harmless and do not require treatment. However, other types can put you at risk for a heart attack. Many people fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Warning signs include:

• increased heart rate
• Dizziness and light-headedness
• Fainting attacks
• breathlessness
• Chest discomfort
• weakness or fatigue

Cardiac arrhythmias may be silent and cause no symptoms.

Other risk factors

Besides job-related stress, other risk factors for arrhythmia include:

• Use of tobacco products and smoking
• drinking alcohol
• Consuming caffeine-rich drinks and foods
• taking too many stimulants, such as cold medicines or herbal supplements
• having high blood pressure
• having a high body mass index
• having high blood sugar
• suffering from sleep apnea

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