Work-related stress that stems from job strain and a perceived imbalance between effort and reward may raise the risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm condition, new research suggests.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found adults in white-collar jobs in Canada who faced high levels of job strain and who felt their efforts were poorly rewarded had a substantially higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation, or AFib, than their peers who felt less stressed.

"Our study suggests that work-related stressors may be relevant factors to include in preventive strategies," senior author Dr. Xavier Trudel said in a news release. Trudel is an occupational and cardiovascular epidemiologist and an associate professor at Laval University in Quebec City in Canada.

AFib, the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, can lead to stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular complications. The American Heart Association estimates more than 12 million people in the U.S. will have the condition by 2030.

Prior research has linked job strain and effort-reward imbalances to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Trudel said his team previously published research suggesting that reducing psychosocial work stressors, such as by implementing flexible work hours or slowing the pace of work on large projects, could lower blood pressure.

The new study is the first to investigate the link between job strain and effort-reward imbalances and AFib, he said. Job strain was defined as a work environment in which workers faced high job demands, such as a heavy workload and tight deadlines, and little control over work-related decisions or how to do the work. Effort-reward imbalance was defined as putting significant effort into work but receiving insufficient or unequal rewards in the form of salary, recognition or job security. Both were measured using self-reported questionnaires.

Trudel and his team analyzed medical records from the PROspective Quebec Study on Work and Health for 5,926 adults in white-collar jobs like managers and office workers. Participants were an average 45 years old at the start of the study.

Over an average 18 years of follow-up, employees who said they experienced high job strain had an 83% higher risk of developing AFib than their peers who didn't experience job strain. Workers who reported an effort-reward imbalance faced a 44% higher risk for AFib. And adults who reported both job strain and effort-reward imbalance had a 97% increased risk of AFib compared to their peers without such stressors.

"Recognizing and addressing psychosocial stressors at work are required to foster healthy work environments that benefit both individuals and the organizations where they work," Trudel said. "The effectiveness of workplace interventions to reduce psychosocial stressors that may also reduce the risk of AFib should be investigated in future research efforts."

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American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved.