Research finds stress doubles heart risk

People who have stressful jobs could be twice as likely to die from heart problems, new research from Finland shows.

Workers at a metal working company were studied over a 25-year period. Those with high job strain and a lack of control over their job ran more than twice the risk of heart disease.

Professor Mika Kivimäki, who led the study at the Finnish Institute for Occupational Health, said: "The evidence from industrial employees suggests that attention should be paid to the prevention of work stress."

The research was published in the British Medical Journal in October (www.bmj.org.uk).