Cardiovascular disease is a group of diseases that affect both the heart and the blood vessels. This group of diseases can cause the narrowing of blood vessels in the heart and other organs, decreased function of heart valves, and an irregular heartbeat.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Did you know that one of the contributors to the incidence of cardiovascular disease is work-related factors? Check out the facts below.

Factors in the workplace that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

The CDC identifies several work factors that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as:

• Extremely long working hours

Working excessive hours—up to 55 hours per week—or jobs with rotating shift schedules raises the risk of cardiovascular disease. The WHO reported 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016 as a result of long working hours.

Many work-related diseases affect men and middle-aged workers aged 45 to 74 who work 55 hours or more per week. Working 55 hours or more per week increases the risk of stroke by 35% and ischemic heart disease death by 17%. Similarly, jobs with rotating shifts raise the risk of cardiovascular disease by 5–10%.

• Work stress

High job demands, low rewards, workplace violence, income inequality, and the loss of workers' rights and protections all contribute to increased stress at work, which raises the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Work stress can manifest as physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, or irregular heartbeat.

• Excessive physical activity

Physical activity that is excessive at work for an extended period of time not only increases the risk of injury, but it can also cause significant stress on the heart. If the heart is stressed from extreme physical activity for a long period of time, the heart's shape can change, with the heart walls thickening. This condition may increase the risk of heart disease.

• Exposure to smoke, dust and toxic chemicals

Continuous exposure to pollutants like smoke and dust, as well as certain chemicals in the workplace, can lead to cardiovascular disease. Exposure to phthalates, which are chemicals used in the production of plastics, is frequently associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Phthalates are commonly used in food processing, medical equipment, building materials, and personal care products like shampoo and lotion. According to research, exposure to phthalates increases the risk of obesity and diabetes.

• Exposure to cigarette smoke

Inhaling cigarette smoke in the workplace turns you into a passive or secondary smoker. According to reports, passive smokers die from coronary heart disease at a rate of approximately 34,000 per year.

Every year, cigarette smoke causes over 8,000 stroke deaths. Inhaling cigarette smoke can impair the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems, raising the risk of a heart attack. Cigarette smoke can also damage the blood vessel walls, narrowing them. These changes can cause heart attacks in passive smokers.

If you notice symptoms such as chest pain, severe fatigue, frequent cramps, or leg swelling, contact a doctor immediately.Early intervention can help to avoid worsening symptoms and disease progression.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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