The British Medical Journal has published a study1 on how stress at work increases the risk of metabolic syndrome (or Syndrome X), a cluster of risk factors that increases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Characteristics of the metabolic syndrome are abdominal obesity, signs that increase the likelihood of fatty deposits in the arteries (raised triglycerides, small LDL cholesterol particles, and low concentrations of HDL cholesterol), high blood pressure, insulin resistance (with or without glucose intolerance), and prothrombotic and proinflammatory states (three of these risk factors need to be present).

The results showed:

A dose-response relation was found between exposure to work stressors over 14 years and risk of the metabolic syndrome, independent of other relevant risk factors. Employees with chronic work stress (three or more exposures) were more than twice as likely to have the syndrome than those without work stress.

The authors conclude that the study provides evidence for the biological plausibility of the link between psychosocial stressors from everyday life and heart disease.

The connection between stress and disease was famously documented by Hans Selye2, and later by Dr. D'Adamo3.

Non-secretors of ABO blood group are statistically more at risk of metabolic syndrome and all its individual components, and also tend to respond differently to stress when compared with secretors of blood groups A and B. Non-secretors tend to have trouble clearing the catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline. Appropriate exercise, stress-reduction techniques and eating correctly according to secretor status as well as ABO blood group may help prevent the effects of work stress on heart disease risk factors.

Follow up:

References:

1. Chronic stress at work and the metabolic syndrome: prospective study

Chandola T, Brunner E, Marmot M.

BMJ 2006;332:521-525

2. Selye HA. The Stress of Life. New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill; 1976.

3. D'Adamo P. Live Right 4 Your Type.

Putnam; 2001.