Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that office workers in stressful jobs who felt undervalued were 97% more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, a form of arrhythmia that can lead to heart failure, stroke and other serious cardiovascular issues.

The study’s senior author Dr Xavier Trudel said it was the first of its kind to link both the psychological factors of high job strain and effort-reward imbalance in the workplace to heart health.

Over 18 years, researchers at Canada’s Laval University studied nearly 6,000 Canadian adults working in office jobs, asking them to complete regular questionnaires about their ‘job strain’. Their medical records were also studied over the period.

Those who experienced both high job strain and lack of appreciation were 97% more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation than their colleagues who did not experience such. Staff with high job strain who were also highly paid were still 83% more likely to develop the condition, meaning a hefty pay packet doesn’t necessarily negate woes at work.

Being stressed and undervalued at work is seriously damaging your heart health, according to this study