Work Stress Linked To Risk Of Leg Artery Disease

2023 Author: Abraham Higgins | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 23:16

Work stress linked to risk of leg artery disease

Atherosclerosis of the vessels of the legs first leads to weakness and pain in the muscles, and over time it can even provoke amputation. Scientists have found that work stress can increase the risk of this condition.

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Stress at work is associated with an up to 1.5-fold increase in the risk of peripheral arterial disease. This is evidenced by a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Diseases of the peripheral arteries are pathologies in which narrowing of the arteries of the legs, arms, gastrointestinal tract or head occurs. Most often, the vessels of the legs are affected. The main cause of these disorders is atherosclerosis. This process leads to a weakening of blood circulation, which can first cause pain in the legs, and then completely end with gangrene and amputations.

Scientists have previously shown that stress at work triggers the onset of diseases associated with atherosclerosis - cardiovascular disease and strokes. But previous research has barely dealt with peripheral arterial disease.

“Our evidence suggests that work-related stress can be a risk factor for peripheral arterial disease in a similar way to how it increases the risk of heart disease and stroke,” said Katriina Heikkilä of Karolinska in a magazine press release. Institute in Stockholm.

Scientists analyzed medical histories of approximately 139 thousand people. They obtained this data from 11 different studies that were conducted in four countries. The average age of the participants was 39-49 years, at the beginning of the observation none of them had arterial disease. On the level of stress, scientists drew conclusions from the words of the participants in the study.

The participants were followed up for an average of 13 years, during which time in different countries, from 0.2% to 1.8% of them were hospitalized for peripheral arterial disease.

It turned out that people who experienced stress at work had a 1.4 times higher risk of developing peripheral arterial disease compared to those who did not experience this type of stress.

Scientists have noted that stress is associated with increased inflammation and high blood pressure. These factors can at least partially explain the acceleration of the development of atherosclerosis.