Job Loss After 50 Doubles Heart Attack And Stroke Risk

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Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Stroke;  Public Health
Article Date: 22 Jun 2006 - 10:00 PDT

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If you are over 50 and lose your job your chances of having a heart attack or stroke double, say researchers from Yale University, USA. The main reason is stress. The researchers said job losses late in people's careers do not only cause economic problems, they also bring substantial health consequences.

The researchers looked at 4,301 people aged 51 -61. All of them were working in 1992. Over a ten year period, out of 582 who lost their jobs, 23 had heart attacks and 13 had strokes. In all cases, the job loss was involuntary.

The scientists had taken into account such risk factors as diabetes, smoking, overweight and hypertension.

Dr William Gallo, Lead Researcher, said "For many individuals, late career job loss is an exceptionally stressful experience, with the potential for provoking numerous undesirable outcomes. Based on our results, the true costs of unemployment exceed the obvious economic costs and include substantial health consequences as well."

Many say that ageism adds to the stress. A person over the age of 50 finds it extremely hard to find another job of similar standing because of his/her age. Worry about risks to their pensions is another stress factor as not all pensions are transferable.

Many health experts say stress, as a cause of heart attack and stroke, has not been conclusively proven.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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