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Working While Ill Increases
Risk of Heart Attack
Men who never take a sick day even
though they're not in good health may be setting themselves up
for a heart attack, according to a new study.
Dr. Mika Kivimaki from the Finnish Institute of Occupational
Health in Helsinki and colleagues used a study of 5000 British
male civil servants ages 35 to 55 to examine the relationship
between sickness absenteeism, "sickness presenteeism" -- that
is, working while ill -- and the rate of serious coronary events,
including fatal and non-fatal heart attacks.
At the start of the study, the participants rated their health
as very good, good, average, or worse. The investigators analyzed
the men's absentee records for the next three years, and documented
a first heart attack or serious coronary event occurring after
three years.
Among participants in the study who rated themselves as unhealthy, "no
absence" was associated with double the risk of serious a coronary
event, the team reports in the American Journal of Public Health.
That risk remained high even when coronary risk factors were
taken into account.
"The fact that the incidence of serious coronary events is twice
as high among unhealthy employees with no sickness absenteeism
as among unhealthy employees with moderate levels of sickness
absenteeism probably reflects the adverse consequences of working
while ill -- that is, sickness presenteeism," the researchers
conclude.
"This risk was not explained by baseline differences in conventional
coronary risk factors, but it seemed to relate to lack of short-term
periods of absence," Kivimaki commented to Reuters Health. "In
my opinion, physicians, employers, and employees should be aware
of the potential harmful effects caused by sickness presenteeism."
Kivimaki pointed out that "our study related to men," adding
that it will be important to also examine the associated risk
between working while ill and coronary events among women.
SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, January 2005.
Reference
Source 89
December
28,
2004
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