Physical Workload Tied to Heart Disease Risk in Swedish Men
Swedish men with physically demanding jobs in mid-life faced a higher risk of developing ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and experiencing IHD-related mortality. The risk was particularly pronounced in those who had low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness during youth.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers analysed data of 284,436 Swedish men born between 1951 and 1961 to examine whether high occupational physical workload in mid‐life increases the risk for subsequent IHD.
The occupational physical workload was assessed in 2005 (age, 44-54 years); participants were followed up regarding IHD incidence and mortality during 2006-2020 (age, 45-69 years).
Workload assessment included five different physical exposures: heavy lifting (≥ 15 kg), physically strenuous work, working in a forward bent position, working in a twisted posture, and working with hands above shoulders.
Cardiorespiratory fitness was evaluated during mandatory military conscription using a maximal ergometer cycle test when participants were aged 18-20 years.
TAKEAWAY:
People who had high physically demanding jobs in mid-life had a higher risk for IHD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11) and IHD mortality (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.23-1.55) than those who had less physically demanding jobs, even after accounting for potential confounders.
Those with lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness at youth had a higher risk for both incident IHD (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.14-1.23) and IHD mortality (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.18-1.44).
The risk of developing IHD was highest among individuals with low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and medium physical workload (HR, 1.24), and the risk for IHD mortality was highest among those with low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and the highest level of physical workload (HR, 1.60).
IN PRACTICE:
"The study results encourage both workplace and public health interventions to consider variation in occupational physical workload and to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, for a lower risk of IHD, especially in youths entering physically demanding jobs," the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Karin Berglund, PhD student, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. It was published online on June 12, 2025, in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
LIMITATIONS:
The study population was limited to men due to military conscription, potentially limiting generalisability to women. The sample represented a somewhat healthier subset of the male population as it included only those able to participate in military conscription and complete a cycle test. Additionally, the exposure assessment was conducted at only one timepoint, not accounting for potential changes in exposures over time.
DISCLOSURES:
This study was funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare. The authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
5 hours ago
- UPI
British researcher's remains found in melting Anatarctic glacier
The remains of British researcher Dennis "Tink" Bell were found in a melting Antarctic glacier, like the one seen here. File Photo by NASA/UPI Aug. 12 (UPI) -- A British researcher's remains were discovered in a melting Antarctic glacier after he died from a fall while on a research mission 66 years ago. Dennis "Tink" Bell fell into a crevasse while working for Falkland Islands Dependencies in 1959, the predecessor of the British Antarctic Survey, which reported the discovery on Monday. More than 200 personal items were found, including radio equipment, a flashlight, ski poles, an inscribed Erguel wristwatch, a Swedish Mora knife, ski poles and an ebonite pipe stem. The remains were carried to the Falkland Islands on the BAS Royal Research ship before being transported to London for DNA testing. The DNA samples matched with his siblings' samples, David Bell and Valerie Kelly. "When my sister Valerie and I were notified that our brother Dennis had been found after 66 years we were shocked and amazed," said Bell's brother. "The British Antarctic Survey and British Antarctic Monument Trust have been a tremendous support and together with the sensitivity of the Polish team in bringing him home have helped us come to terms with the tragic loss of our brilliant brother." Bell was working alongside four men and two dog sledges, a surveyor Jeff Stokes, meteorologists Ken Gibson and geologist Colin Barton. Stokes and Bell believed a crevassed area was in the clear. But as the team and its dogs were struggling to make it through the snow. Bell went ahead of the group as an act of encouragement but he suddenly disappeared leaving a gaping hole down 100ft in the crevasse bridge. Stokes called repeatedly out to Bell, lowering a rope almost a hundred feet. He told Bell to tie himself on, Stokes and the dogs began to pull him up but Bell had tied the rope through his belt instead of around his body due to the angle he was laying at in the crevasse. When he reached the top his body jammed against the lip, his belt broke, and he fell down again. Stokes and Bell were initially ahead of Gibson and Barton. So, Stokes went down the glacier to meet with the two. They attempted to return to the crevasse but the weather had taken a turn for the worse. "It was probably 12 hours before we found the site. There was no way he could have survived," said GIbson. The remains had been discovered on the Ecology Glacier on Jan. 19, 2025 by personnel from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station on King George Island. "The discovery of Dennis Bell brings sharply into focus the cost of scientific endeavour in Antarctica in the years before improved transportation and communication. Many of those lost were never found which makes this discovery more remarkable," the chair of the British Antarctic Monument Trust, Rod Rhys Jones, said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
New research may have found the secret to delaying chronic illness in old age
Imagine two people in their 70s. Both are active, live independently and enjoy life. But over the next 15 years, one of them develops two or three chronic illnesses – heart disease, diabetes, depression – while the other remains relatively healthy. What made the difference? According to our new research, diet may be a key part of the answer. In our new study, our group at the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, followed more than 2,400 older Swedish adults for 15 years. We found that people who consistently ate a healthy diet developed chronic diseases more slowly, in contrast to those whose diets were considered more inflammatory; that is, diets high in processed meats, refined grains and sugary drinks, which are known to promote low-grade chronic inflammation in the body. This is important because having several health conditions at the same time is one of the biggest problems older people face. It increases the risk of disability, hospitalisation and early death. It also places a huge burden on healthcare systems. But while it has been long known that diet can help prevent individual diseases, our study shows that it may also influence the overall pace of biological ageing. We looked at four well-known dietary patterns. Three of them – the Mind diet (designed to protect brain health), the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (based on foods linked to lower disease risk) and the Mediterranean diet – were associated with slower disease accumulation. The fourth, a diet high in inflammatory foods, was linked to faster accumulation. The strongest associations were seen for cardiovascular and psychiatric conditions. So, people who ate better were less likely to develop diseases including heart failure, stroke, depression or dementia. We did not, however, find a clear link between diet and musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis or osteoporosis. Some of the benefits of healthy eating were more pronounced in women and in the oldest participants: those aged 78 and above. This suggests that it is never too late to make changes. Even in very old age, diet matters. Why does food have such a strong potential? One reason may be inflammation. As people age, many develop low-grade chronic inflammation – sometimes called 'inflammaging' – which is linked to a wide range of diseases. Diets high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats tend to reduce inflammation. Diets rich in highly processed foods and sugar do the opposite. Another reason is that healthy diets support the body's resilience. They provide essential nutrients that help maintain immune function, muscle mass and cognitive health. Over time, this can make a big difference in how people age. Our study is one of the longest and most comprehensive of its kind. We used repeated dietary assessments and tracked more than 60 chronic health conditions. We also tested our findings using different analytical methods to make sure they held up. Of course, diet is just one piece of the puzzle. Physical activity, social connections and access to healthcare all play important roles in healthy ageing. But improving diet quality is a relatively simple and accessible way to help older adults live longer, healthier lives. So what should older adults eat? The message is clear: eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Choose healthy fats like rapeseed oil and fish. Limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks and solid fats. These are the building blocks of the diets we studied – and they have been associated with slower ageing, better brain health and fewer chronic diseases in this and other research. Ageing is inevitable. But people can shape how it unfolds. Our findings suggest that even small changes in diet can make a meaningful difference in how people experience later life, regardless of their age. Adrián Carballo Casla is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Geriatric Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet. Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga is an Associate Professor at the Aging Research Center at Karolinska Institutet. David Abbad Gomez is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Evaluation at Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Solve the daily Crossword
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Tom's Guide
44-year study reveals this workout reduces dementia risk by 88%
Getting older is inevitable, but there's been a host of studies that prove regular exercise is one of the best ways to future-proof your health. Data shows that women make up two thirds of dementia cases globally, with the loss of estrogen during menopause increasing the risk of the most common types of dementia. Yet a 44-year study, published in the journal Neurology, has linked cycling to long-term brain protection. The study looked at a sample of 1462 women aged 38 to 60. At the start of the study, between 1968-1970, 191 of the women completed a maximal cycling test on a stationary bike. They performed various cycling intervals, cycling at a low intensity, and increasing the intensity every few minutes until they reached exhaustion. Their peak workload achieved at exhaustion was recorded. This was measured in watts, and researchers used it as a marker for their maximal cardiovascular fitness level. The women in the study were then examined for signs of dementia in 1974, 1980, 2000, 2005, and 2009. This included neuropsychiatric examinations, interviews with the women, and hospital records. The researchers also looked at socioeconomic factors, like income and education, as well as the women's diets, smoking habits, and any existing illnesses. The results showed that only 5% of the highly fit women, based on the scores in the cycling tests at the beginning of the study, developed dementia, compared to 32% in the moderate group. The researchers concluded that high fitness delayed the age of dementia onset by 9.5 years, and that the women who demonstrated high cardio fitness had an 88% lower risk of developing dementia. If you're not into cycling, or you don't have the space to install one of the best exercise bikes in your home, don't panic. Building cardiovascular fitness can be achieved through swimming, running, and even fast walking, so it's not just biking that holds memory-boosting benefits. Of course, while this is an impressive longitudinal study, there are limitations — for example, the women classified as 'highly fit' are likely to have a better diet and healthier habits. What's more, the study only looked at Swedish women. More research is needed into the subject, but staying fit and healthy as you get older is definitely beneficial for your physical and mental health. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
