Unemployment increases women's risk of heart disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Women who have been fired or laid off from their jobs run an increased risk of heart problems, according to a new study.
Unemployment can lead to stress which, in turn, might impact on physical health. Researchers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, now report on how unemployment increases women's risk of heart problems and poor mental health.

They looked at a group of nearly 35,000 black and white women aged 25-64 years, comparing employed, involuntarily unemployed women and homemakers. Unemployed women had the worst physical health with 28 per cent having high blood pressure and six per cent with a history of heart attack, chest pain or stroke. Employed women had the best physical health - 19 per cent with high blood pressure, two per cent with heart disease. Homemakers had nearly double the risk of heart problems compared to employed women. It is not quite clear how these differences arise - maybe occupational health services do a good job in screening employed women for high blood pressure and stress.

When it came to mental health, unemployed women tended to have more 'bad' days than those in the other two groups. This may be from financial stress or emotional distress caused by being out of work. The study underlines the importance of work to women even though it may, in itself, create some pressure.

Source
Conference on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke 17th February 2005

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