Although stress is not believed to be a direct cause of heart disease, the BHF says it may lead people to adopt unhealthy lifestyles which affect the heart. A recent BHF survey showed that work pressures were forcing people to take shorter lunch breaks, to eat pre-prepared, unhealthy food and indulge in other unhealthy behaviour. Arrhythmia Alison Shaw, a cardiac nurse adviser at the BHF, said stress could trigger some forms of arrhythmia or irregular heart rhythms. Most of these, such as palpitations or a skipped heart beat, do not require treatment. But some are symptoms of an arrythmia such as atrial fibrillation which may be treated with medication and some arrythmias are life-threatening but are rare.
Many people ring the foundation about palpitations.
The main message is to get them checked out, particularly if they make you feel dizzy. Most do not require treatment. Health inequalities Research also shows that people in less responsible jobs are more likely to suffer damaging stress than those in top jobs. Professor Michael Marmot of University College in London has been studying the effects of stress on civil servants for many years. He believes people who lack control in their jobs are much more likely to have health problems related to stress than those in senior management.