London, May 18 (IANS): A stressful job can change the way body handles fat, resulting in raised cholesterol levels and even a heart disease, almost fatal for anyone.

According to Spanish researchers, stressful situations affect how the body metabolises fat - ultimately leading the body with too much 'bad' cholesterol,” reports dailymail.co.uk.

New research shows that stress can lead to dyslipidemia, which is a disorder that alters the levels of fats and lipoproteins in the blood.

Researchers at the Virgen de la Victoria Hospital in Malaga and the Santiago de Compostela University analysed the relationship between job stress and different parameters associated with how fatty acids are metabolised in the body.

Specifically, people who suffered from job stress were more likely to suffer from abnormally high levels of bad cholesterol, excessively low levels of good cholesterol (the 'good' cholesterol) and were more likely to develop blocked arteries.

"One of the mechanisms that could explain the relationship between stress and cardiovascular risk could be the changes in our lipid profile, which means higher rates of plaque accumulation (leading to hardening) of the arteries," said Carlos Catalina, clinical psychologist and an expert in work-related stress.