Having a demanding job and little control over it is associated with an increased risk of premature death in men with coronary heart disease, stroke, or diabetes, according to an observational study tracking more than 100,000 men and women with and without cardiometabolic disease from Finland, France, Sweden, and the UK for almost 14 years, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.

However, there was no association between any type of work stress and premature death for women with or without cardiometabolic disease. Men without cardiometabolic disease had a slightly heightened risk of death associated with work that demands a lot of effort for little reward.

Some existing treatment guidelines already recommend stress management for people with cardiometabolic disease, but this study is the first large-scale study to investigate the link.