Additionally, women who feared losing their jobs were also found to be at risk for high blood pressure, increased cholesterol and excess body weight.
"Our study indicates that there are both immediate and long-term clinically documented cardiovascular health effects of job strain in women," said Michelle A. Albert, M.D., M.P.H., the study's senior author and associate physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass.
Job strain, a form of psychological stress, is defined as having a demanding job, but little to no decision-making authority or opportunities to use one's creative or individual skills.
The landmark Women's Health Study, which was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010, followed 17,415 healthy women -- primarily Caucasian, averaged 57 years old, and were health care professionals -- to track their development of cardiovascular disease.
The women provided information about heart disease risk factors, job strain and job insecurity and answered a standard questionnaire with statements such as: "My job requires working very fast." "My job requires working very hard." "I am free from competing demands that others make."
During the ten year study, researchers found 40 percent higher risks for heart attacks, ischemic strokes, coronary artery bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty and death in the women who reported high job strain.
The increased risk of heart attack was about 88 percent, while the risk of bypass surgery or invasive procedure was about 43 percent.
Even women who felt in control at their jobs were at risk for heart disease.
"Women in jobs characterized by high demands and low control, as well as jobs with high demands but a high sense of control are at higher risk for heart disease long term," said Natalie Slopen, Sc.D., lead researcher and a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University Center on the Developing Child in Boston.
Previous research on the effects of job strain has focused on men and had a more restricted set of cardiovascular conditions.
"Your job can positively and negatively affect health, making it important to pay attention to the stresses of your job as part of your total health package," said Albert.
"From a public health perspective, it's crucial for employers, potential patients, as well as government and hospitals entities to monitor perceived employee job strain and initiate programs to alleviate job strain and perhaps positively impact prevention of heart disease."
Co-authors on the study are Robert G. Glynn, Ph.D., and Julie Buring, Sc.D.
