- Work-related stress changes the way body handles fat
- Leads to raised levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol
- And very low levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol
By
Anna Hodgekiss
09:20 EST, 17 May 2013
|
09:22 EST, 17 May 2013
A stressful job can alter the way body handles fat – leading to raised cholesterol and deadly heart disease.
Spanish researchers have found that stressful situations affect how the body metabolises fat – ultimately ending up with there being too much ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Experts have been saying for years that emotional stress is linked to
the risk of suffering cardiovascular disease as a result of unhealthy
habits such as smoking, an unsuitable diet or leading a sedentary
lifestyle, among other factors.
Researchers have found that stressful situations affect how the body metabolises fat – ultimately ending up with there being too much ‘bad’ cholesterol
But the new research shows that stress can trigger dyslipidemia, a disorder that alters the levels of fats and lipoproteins in the blood.
Researchers at the Virgen de la Victoria Hospital
in Malaga and the Santiago de Compostela University analysed the
relationship between job stress and different parameters associated with
how fatty acids are metabolised in the body.
The study, published in the ‘Scandinavian Journal of Public
Health’, was conducted on a sample population of more than 90,000
workers undergoing medical check-ups.
‘The workers who stated that they had experienced difficulties in dealing with their job during the previous 12 months (8.7 per cent of the sample) had a higher risk of suffering from dyslipidemia,’ said Carlos Catalina, clinical psychologist and an expert in work-related stress.
Dyslipidemia ca result in an increase in total cholesterol and ‘bad’ LDL and triglyceride levels, and cause levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol to drop.
The new research shows that stress can trigger dyslipidemia, a disorder that alters the levels of fats and lipoproteins in the blood
Specifically, people who suffered from
job stress were more likely to suffer from abnormally high levels of bad
cholesterol, excessively low levels of good cholesterol (the ‘good’
cholesterol) and were more likely to develop blocked arteries.
‘One of the mechanisms that could explain the relationship between stress and cardiovascular risk could be the changes in our lipid profile, which means higher rates of plaque accumulation [leading to hardening] of the arteries,’ said Dr Catalina.
One possibility is that stress interferes with the body’s ability to rid itself of excess cholesterol – or it may trigger a number of inflammatory processes which also increase cholesterol production.Â
Alternatively, stress may also encourage the body to produce more energy in the form of fatty acids and glucose.
These substances require the liver to produce and secrete more LDL cholesterol so they can be transported to the other tissues of the body.
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This is not news. We’ve all known it for years.
Harrybear
,
Newbury, Berkshire,
17/5/2013 19:13
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codswollop
oldman55
,
Manchester,
17/5/2013 18:54
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“Exclusive. Pope Reveals He Is Catholic. More follows …..â€
Hugh Avonalaff
,
London, United Kingdom,
17/5/2013 18:49
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“These substances require the liver to produce and secrete more LDL cholesterolâ€______The liver doesn’t produce LDL, it produces VLDL which is progressively altered as it travels around the body, eventually ending up as LDL which the liver takes out of the blood. The longer LDL hangs around in the blood (which depends on how much there is) the more likely it is that it will end up in the walls of the arteries. Dyslipidaemia (English spelling) usually means more fat is being made by the liver than usual, so more VLDL is released into the blood. Alcohol has the same effect, and since stressed people are likely to increase their alcohol intake this is also a factor to consider.
Gary
,
Southampton,
17/5/2013 18:21
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Being leader of the Labour Party is very stressful.
karezza
,
Belfast, United Kingdom,
17/5/2013 18:18
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We get paid for the actual work we do, but we don’t get paid for the stress that goes with it. Perhaps if this study can be cited in a legal case against an employer, then things might change.
FT
,
Manchester, United Kingdom,
17/5/2013 17:52
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This is news???? It has been known about for MANY Years – call it research? Rubbish. In my very stressful job – I knew a large number who died BEFORE retiring – This “research†is as useless as the recent one about retirement causing death.
Richardgh
,
London,
17/5/2013 17:13
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I think its being married that kills you!
Alan Luya
,
Plaise Le Lurd, United Kingdom,
17/5/2013 16:22
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The killer factors are: Stress, Sugar, Oxidation and Chronic Inflammation.
Just Dona
,
Metropolis, United Kingdom,
17/5/2013 16:21
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I really hate my job!!
tiky
,
Manchester,
17/5/2013 16:17
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