Private MD News

Workers with responsibility are more likely to have high stress

Category: Hormones and Metabolism

Workers who are heavily invested in their jobs are more likely to receive elevated cortisol test results for stress, which may increase their risk for a number of dangerous complications, say experts from Canada's Center for Addiction and Mental Health.

They recently completed a survey nearly 3,000 workers. They found that those who have more responsibility and work longer hours reported much higher levels of stress.

Additionally, workers who were in a position where poor job performance could result in physical injury, harm to the company's equipment or reputation or financial loss also reported high levels of anxiety.

"The people who report high stress are the ones most invested in their jobs," said Carolyn Dewa, who headed the investigation. "Employers should be very concerned with keeping this population healthy. From a business perspective, it is in a company's best interest to support these workers."

Stress can lead to high levels of the hormone cortisol. This can cause the accumulation of fat and other factors that may lead to poor heart health. Cortisol testing may help individuals determine if they need to adjust their work habits.