Link proved between chronic stress and cardiac problems

8th September 2010

Businesses may like to make reasonable adjustments to employees' working environments, as researchers claim to have found a direct link between cardiac problems and chronic stress.

Scientists at the University of Western Ontario discovered that by measuring levels of stress hormone cortisol in hair, an accurate assessment of the amount of anxiety in the months leading up to an event such as a heart attack can be provided.

Published in online journal Stress, the study found higher levels of hair cortisol in male cardiac arrest patients compared with a control sample for the three months prior to the incident.

Researcher Gideon Koren remarked: "Stress is a serious part of modern life, affecting many areas of health and life."

Companies could take steps towards making the office environment less stressful by implementing schemes such as the Classical Siesta, an initiative provided by Travelodge to revitalise tired staff members, HR Magazine recently reported.

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