Money worries hike risk of heart disease: study

"We know a great deal about the established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, obesity and smoking, but this research gives us new knowledge about the additional risk factors," said Jan Nilsson, president of the Heart-Lung Foundation Research Council (Hjärt-Lungfondens forskningsråd) in a statement.

"We need more research of this type if we are to defeat cardiovascular disease," he added.

The study is set to be published in the 2013 edition of the Hjärtrapporten journal in September.

The research has linked financial difficulties to the ability to manage an unplanned outlay of 8,000 kronor ($1,170) and has come to the conclusion that some 1.3 million Swedes would be unable to come up with the sum and thus are at risk of stress-related heart problems.

Jan Nilsson explained that researchers have identified a slew of reasons for the heightened risk.

"It can be that people with weak finances don't have the time or can't afford to take care of their health, that they often live in less well off areas or that they are ashamed," he said.

Hjärtrapporten (literally: The Heart Report) is published annually by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation and summarizes the state of heart disease in Sweden.