Scientists found that unemployed heart failure patients have a 50% increased risk of mortality.
A new study shows that unemployment can increase the risk of death among people who suffer from heart failure. More than 5.7 million individuals in the US suffer from this condition, and over half of them die during the first five years of the diagnosis.
The research discovered that unemployed heart failure patients were at a higher risk of death than patients with a steady job. More than 20,000 individuals diagnosed with heart failure participated in the study. Out of them, over 10,000 registered higher chances of developing life-threatening complications due to the added stress that comes with unemployment.
While conducting the study, researchers analyzed all the factors that aggravated the patients’ mortality risk, including the number of hospitalizations, employment status, and other underlying conditions.
Unemployment has a negative effect on heart failure patients
The participants in the study were aged between 18 and 60. Out of a total of 20,000, sixteen percent of the patients with a job died within six months after receiving the diagnosis. By comparison, 31 percent of their unemployed peers died during the same time frame. The mortality risk among patients that lacked a steady source of income increased by 50 percent, showing that employment status can severely affect a person’s physical health. Researchers also discovered that unemployed patients were more likely to be hospitalized more often.
These findings are of great importance for younger heart failure patients. By knowing the crucial role that employment status plays when it comes to heart failure patients, scientists recommend employment agencies to categorize them as priority one.
“If that was the case, employment status could help to risk stratify young heart failure patients and identify those needing more intensive rehabilitation,” mentioned Rasmus Roerth, one of the researchers.
However, these patients are not the only ones who might be affected by unemployment. Many other health conditions that can be caused or severely influenced by this social status. One of the most prominent problems among people who don’t have a job is mental instability – which might lead to depression and even suicide. Financial problems account for 45,000 of the suicides which occur every year all over the world.
A previous study showed financial problems account for 45,000 of suicides all over the world, proving once more that a steady job can make the difference between life and death.
Image source: Wikipedia
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