Contact Veritas Consulting

Please leave your details below and somebody will get back, today.

Enquiry Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Written by
on 11 December 2012

Share

There has been a lot of debate recently on whether being unemployed increases your risk of having a heart attack. This debate came into effect after a published study in the Archives of Internal Medicine associated unemployment to a high risk of heart disease. With the financial crisis that the world has just experienced and more people finding themselves out of work, this is a very serious subject that needs to be taken into consideration.

The Study

Before you get yourself too wound up let’s first take a look at the study which was conducted in the United States. They took a large number of unemployed people with the median age of sixty two and found that after an initial job loss twenty two percent were at risk of heart attack, those that suffered up to four job losses had an increased risk of up to sixty three per cent. However, interestingly all the patients who reported heart disease were smokers or they suffered from diabetes or hypertension. This means that there is no real solid proof as of yet and more studies need to be carried out to prove that being unemployed or encountering multiple job losses could result in heart problems in the future.

Are You at Risk of a Heart Attack anyway?

For many people occupational health can lead to heart problems. Those in highly stressful jobs that suffer with long hours and little sleep are probably more at risk than those that are unemployed. If you are one of the many unemployed, try and keep a positive attitude. Stressing yourself out and having sleepless nights will definitely put you in a higher risk bracket. Those that keep a positive attitude and continue searching for employment while remaining active can reduce their risk of heart disease.

Fight Heart Disease

There are many contributing factors that will put a person into a high risk bracket when it comes to heart attacks. We’ve seen young sports men and women that have had heart attacks in their twenties, despite the average age being sixty and over. Anyone can be at risk whether you work or not, the main contributing factor is lifestyle. While it can be exceptionally difficult to manage a healthy lifestyle in our busy lifestyles, keeping healthy is one way to reduce cardiac problems in the future.

Work it out

Regular exercise with cardio workouts are an essential step in keeping a healthy heart. You don’t have to go overboard; cardio workouts can include cycling, walking and even swimming so you don’t have to spend hours at the gym. Instead simply keep active to keep your heart healthy. Always confirm with your clinic before taking on any exercise to ensure it is safe for you to do so.

The Benefits of a Healthy Diet

Eat a healthy well-balanced diet. Keeping a good healthy weight and eating a varied healthy diet is fuel for a healthy heart. Living on junk food and grabbing a burger during your lunch hour is only working against your favour. It is so much better to be healthy and enjoy the peace of mind that you are taking care of your body and your heart; securing your own future. Whether you are employed or unemployed you need to try and relax, getting overly stressed not only puts pressure on you but can seriously affect your sleep patterns. What your heart needs to stay healthy is a good night sleep, exercise and a well-balanced diet. If you can work to take care of yourself and your heart you can reduce the risk of heart problems in the future. Keep a positive attitude and reduce the amount of stress you are under

About 

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *