Study Finds Significant Increase in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Due to Work-Life Imbalance
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Achieving a healthy work-life balance is getting harder. Longer work hours, the expectation to always be available, and blurred lines between work and personal life are causing workplace stress to spill over at home. This spillover negatively affects mental health and work productivity.
In a study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, researchers discovered that work-life imbalance is linked to biomarkers that signal cardiovascular risk and diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 17.9 million people die from cardiovascular diseases each year and poor work-life balance can severely impact an individual's health, particularly cardiovascular health.
Constant stress from long working hours and the inability to disconnect from work increases stress hormones like cortisol, which can lead to high blood pressure, inflammation, and other cardiovascular problems. This chronic stress can contribute to heart disease, stroke, and other serious health issues.
The study, led by Andree Hartanto, Assistant Professor at Singapore Management University, involved 1,179 working or self-employed adults, with an average age of 52.64 years. Participants worked an average of 41 hours per week.
A four-item scale measured negative work-to-family spillover. During data collection, participants stayed overnight at a clinical research centre and underwent a physical exam, including fasting blood samples for cardiovascular risk biomarkers.
The five biomarkers—high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein—indicate cholesterol levels, artery hardening, and heart inflammation, all of which are markers for cardiovascular diseases.
The results showed that work stress spilling over into home life significantly affected two key health bio-markers: higher triglycerides, which can lead to hardening of the arteries, and lower HDL, which can raise cholesterol levels.
The findings suggested that stress from work can cause physical changes that increase the risk of heart disease. The study also found a link between work stress and inflammation markers, such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein, which are associated with heart inflammation.
Reference: Andree Hartanto, K.T.A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Meilan Hu, Shu Fen Diong, Verity Y.Q. Lua; Negative work-to-family spillover stress and heightened cardiovascular risk biomarkers in midlife and older adults; Journal of Psychosomatic Research; Volume 178; 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111594.
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