The Link Between Job Stress and Stroke

Never underestimate the power of stress to damage your body.  Stress is a dangerous adversary to health.  Oftentimes, it comes as a shock about just how much damage it has already inflicted.  Unfortunately, the world does not work without stress to move things along.  There are no Get Out Of Jail Free cards from negative changes and twisted situations life indifferently dishes out.  Contemporary life is rife with pressure, a huge portion coming from the job environment and its expectations.  Competition is sky high; and the casualties (literal or figurative) from stress seem to be rising.  This is why we may point an accusing finger to job stress as a high risk factor for stroke. Yet many may not agree to stress as a culprit of stroke.  A published research in 2010 by Dr. Craig Anderson of the University of Sydney and of the George Institute of International Health could not prove any correlation between stressful life events and subarachnoid haemorrhage, a type of hemorrhagic stroke or bleeding that occurs within that space between the brain and the tissues that protect it.  Fact of the matter is, other prior related studies proved inconclusive as well in establishing the link between stress and stroke. Thankfully, new studies have emerged to poke holes in the old ones.  These have shed blinding light on the truth that stress can indeed induce stroke.  Job stress in particular is taking the flack for raising the risk factor of ischemic strokes. TYPES OF STROKE Not all strokes are made equal.  Brain attacks come in three main forms:

• Hemorrhagic stroke – a weak blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds out. Aneurysm is a type of hemorrhagic stroke.
• Ischemic stroke – occurs when there is a blockage in one of the brain’s blood vessels. The restricted blood flow deprives the brain of sufficient oxygen.  This is the most common type.
• Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) – also known as mini strokes, caused by temporary clots. TIAs should serve as red flag warnings of an impending “mother-of-attacks” to come if care is not taken.

JOB STRAIN AND ISCHEMIC STROKE What the latest findings have revealed is that job stress can now be said to be directly related to ischemic brain attacks. Pooled results from 14 different European studies over a 23-year period point to job strain as a high risk factor for ischemic stroke. Job strain is defined as pressure from jobs that have high demands but offer very little control over the work environments. A Danish study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, likewise corroborates these findings. The study spanned 31 years (1970-2001) in which 5,000 men, aged 40 to 59 years, were categorized in five groups according to socio-economic class, educational level and job position.  Surprisingly, the two lowest socio-economic groups fared better in terms of coping with job pressure. The higher three groups reported being more mentally stressed, earning these a 38 percent high risk disadvantage of getting a stroke. Of the 5,000 subjects in the study, 779 suffered from some form of stroke and 167 died because of it. It is unclear why men enjoying higher incomes suffered more psychological stress. Perhaps it follows that the bigger the pay, the bigger the worries.  Both ischemic and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) seem to be the most prevalent types of stroke linked to chronic stress, hostility and depression, especially in middle-aged to elderly age group. This is according to research published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association. The direct relation between stroke and job stress is distressing because many factors are beyond an individual’s control. Companies must recognize the high cost of stress on employees and therefore also on productivity in order that work environments and demands may be tailored to improve employee health and morale. The incalculable benefits from such a thrust may significantly boost productivity and therefore profits. HOW STRESS CAUSES STROKE Stress brings on the “fight or flight” mode which raises the levels of cortisol and adrenalin.  These coping hormones cause blood pressure to rise, the heart to beat rapidly, and a lot of other physiological responses.  While this is a terrific response to short-term threats and danger, this heightened state is damaging if fuelled by chronic stress in the long run.

Professor Graeme Hankey, head of the Stroke Unit at the Royal Perth Hospital, surmises that chronic stress-induced high blood pressure can place its own stress on the brain’s blood vessel walls. Constant abnormally high levels of adrenalin can also cause blood platelets to clot and obstruct blood vessels in or near the brain. HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK Stress is a nemesis that is best dealt with good psychological, emotional and physical balancing.  On the physical side, huge improvements on stress management can be rewarded by taking on the reins of your health. You will be surprised how much exercise, a balanced diet and weight maintenance can change your negative perspectives. Ridding or significantly reducing your intake of unhealthy substances like alcohol, added sugar and smoke are other pluses in your battle with stress.

On the emotional and psychological side, try…really try…not to sweat the small stuff.  Take a deep breath if someone accidentally forgot to put your pen where it should be or your girl Friday handed you an Americano instead of a Macchiato.  Make an effort to see more humour in human nature and in life.
Also, seek a balance. Work is not everything.  Balance work and family by establishing a planned routine and the appropriate mindset. It’s important to have the discipline to stick to it. Family, friends, and your needs all need to be addressed; so work on this plan and be creative. Your life plan must go with life’s flow so it shouldn’t be too rigid.
Above all, you need to change your outlook into a positive one.  This is the best way to cope with job stress and reduce your health risks. Most of the time, there are different ways of looking at doom in the face;  just choose to zero in on the positives, no matter how small. That's being on your merry way to being brain healthy.

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