High-Stress Jobs Bad for Women’s Hearts

Women working in stressful positions face an increased risk of heart-related maladies such as heart attacks, strokes, and clogged arteries, finds a landmark study that followed 17,145 women over a 10-year period. Most of the participants in the study were health professionals, but the findings paint a broader picture of how stress affects women in the workplace—basically, just as it does men.

Women who work in demanding jobs with little control were 40% more likely to encounter heart problems than those with less demanding positions and more control. As one researcher stated, “It’s not just going to work, it’s what happens when you get there.” Some tips: Women should be open with their doctors about their stress levels, exercise, try to avoid bringing work home, and participate in extracurricular activities. Read the full article. (More stress stories.)