April 2, 2013 | Online
Unemployment can do more than add stress to your life - it can impact health as well. According to a new study in "Archives of Internal Medicine," there are numerous links between joblessness and heart attacks, particularly in older workers.
Researchers looked at more than 13,000 people between the ages of 51 and 75, analyzing how their health may have been related to their employment situation. They found that multiple job losses often resulted in an increased risk of smoking, high blood pressure and having other bad heart-related conditions, CBC News reports.
According to the news source, individuals who went through at least one job loss were 22 per cent more likely to suffer from a heart attack than those who never were unemployed. People who had four or more job losses had a 60 per cent greater risk than the consistently employed.
While the study did not differentiate between those who were fired, laid off, quit or were between jobs, the researchers believe it is likely that the greatest risks of heart attack came from being fired or laid off, when the worker was surprised by the sudden change in job status.
"There probably are differences in consequences of job loss when it's voluntary or more or less expected," Sarah Burgard, a researcher who has studied the relationship between unemployment and health, told CBC News.
Experts associated with the study developed several theories to explain the correlation between joblessness and heart disease. Many believe the stress of losing a job may trigger a heart attack in people who already are at risk for heart problems due to clogged arteries or a history of disease affecting the organ. Being unemployed can also change the status of an individual's medical care, depending on the type of job that was held, which could then limit access to private care, the news source reports.
Those who are interested in the healthcare industry or are currently between jobs should consider taking college courses or a training program to help them launch new careers. Students who are interested in training for careers in the healthcare field will learn a lot in healthcare courses and programs like Practical Nursing at CDI College. For more information, fill out the form on the right.
