Stress and boozing put City workers 'at risk from strokes'

The recession is putting City workers at risk of premature strokes, a leading surgeon warned today.

Dr Richard Schilling, from Barts and the London NHS Trust, said he had seen a rise in younger patients with heart conditions triggered by excessive drinking.

The cardiac expert said alcohol was linked to higher blood pressure, which exacerbates problems such as irregular heart rhythms, known as cardiac arrhythmia.

At least 100,000 cardiac deaths a year are blamed on this type of defect, which includes symptoms such as the heart beating too fast or too slow - a condition worsened by stress.

Dr Schilling said: "Workers in the City are under a lot more stress because they're having to work harder. They're at risk because they use alcohol to relax themselves. People drink more when they are stressed."

The risk of developing the condition is greatest for those over 70 but Dr Schilling said he had patients in their forties and fifties, including City bankers and brokers.

He is backing a campaign by the charity Arrhythmia Alliance to encourage people, especially men, to check their heartbeat through their pulse at least once every six months - a normal pulse is between 60 and 100 beats a minute.