Job Stress Ups Blood Fat Levels

A link between job stress and different parameters associated with how fatty acids are metabolised in the body has been identified by scientists in a recent study.

The study was conducted on a sample population of more than 90,000 workers undergoing medical check-ups.

"The workers who stated that they had experienced difficulties in dealing with their job during the previous twelve months (8.7 percent of the sample) had a higher risk of suffering from dyslipidemia," Carlos Catalina, clinical psychologist and an expert in work-related stress, told SINC.

Dyslipidemia is a lipoproteins' metabolic disorder that can manifest itself in an increase in total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and triglyceride levels, in addition to a drop in high-density lipoproteins (HDLs).

Specifically, in the study the workers with job stress were more likely to suffer from abnormally high levels of LDL cholesterol (the so-called 'bad' cholesterol), excessively low levels of HDL cholesterol (the 'good' cholesterol) and positive atherogenic indices, i.e. potential artery blockage.

The findings have been published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.

Source: ANI