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Is There Link Between Unemployment And Heart Attack?
 

In the United States, unemployment rate measures the number of people actively seeking a job as a percentage of the labor force. From 1948 till 2013, the average unemployment rate averaged 5.87 percent. While the rate decreased slightly from 7.9 percent in January 2013 to 7.7 percent in February 2013, it is predicted that the federal spending cuts would reduce about 700,000 jobs this year. Hence, unemployment remains a major issue.

Loss of income, loss of social contacts in the workplace, or even loss of social reputation resulted from unemployment would cause many health hazards, as confirmed by many pervious studies.

For instance, the GEDA study (Gesundheit in Deutschland Aktuell, or Current Health in Germany) carried out between 2008 and 2009 by the Robert Koch Institute showed that unemployed people between the age of 30 and 59 are often affected by physical, emotional, and functional impairments like anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and substance addictions. These people also tend to make more use of the health care system.

A recent research had even linked unemployment to heart attack. In a paper published on December 10, 2012 in ‘Archives of Internal Medicine’, researchers from Duke University reported that people who were unemployed, had a history of unemployment, and those who had short periods of job loss were all at a higher risk for acute myocardial infarction (or heart attack).

Data on 13,451 American adults aged between 51 and 75 who participated in the large Health and Retirement Study from 1992 to 2010 were analyzed. The participants’ information on employment status and health were collected every 2 years. People who had heart attacks before the study began were excluded.

Results of the analysis showed that 69.7 percent of the participants had at least one job loss, or period of unemployment after working at a job, and at least 10 percent had 4 or more before and/or during the study period.

On average, 7.9 percent of participants had heart attacks during the study. Being unemployed were found to have a higher risk of getting heart attack: 1.35 times the rate as people who were employed. The risk increased each time people lost a job. People who had lost 4 jobs during the study had heart attack at 1.63 times the rate of those who did not lose a job. The risks were highest in the first year after a job loss. Men and women faced equal risks. It also appears that multiple job losses posed as a big threat as smoking, high blood pressure and other conditions that are harmful for the heart.

However, the study had several limitations. The data only showed periods of unemployment but did not indicate if people were fired, laid off, out of work while switching jobs, or had voluntarily left a job. Job losses described in the study included all these situations although the researchers admitted that the greatest risks for heart attack should come from being fired or laid off.

Indeed, the reason for unemployment is important. For example, retirement was not considered as unemployment, and different causes of job loss could have different consequences. When one lost his or her job voluntarily or more or less expected is different from sudden lay off or dismissal.

The findings might not be new since sufficient evidence has already showed that job loss creates negative impact on health. However, scientists have yet to find out the how and why that happens.

Some theories, as identified by the researchers from Duke University, included that the stress of losing a job might trigger a heart attack in people with clogged arteries or heart disease; and that the unemployed persons lose health insurance and access to medical care that could help keep them healthy. Perhaps, it is time for scientists to conduct more studies to explore and verify these theories!

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