A new study has revealed that shoulder pain may suggest a higher risk of heart diseases especially for those with aching joints and rotator cuff.

The lead author of the study Kurt Hegmann said "if someone has rotator cuff problems, it could be a sign that there is something else going on. They may need to manage risk factors for heart disease." The Director of the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health and his team from the University of Utah studied a group of people experiencing shoulder pain and factors suggestive of cardiovascular diseases including diabetes, hypertension, and high levels of cholesterol.

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According to observations, 36 of the participants, who were reported to have severe risk factors for heart disease, were 4.6 times more likely to experience pain in shoulder joints compared to those without risk factors. Further, the risk of rotator cuff tendinopathy for these individuals was six times higher. Since physical strain likely appeared to contribute to shoulder pain, the researchers also studied data involving 1,226 skilled laborers. They found out that there is no link between the shoulder trouble and physical strain.

The study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine discovered that shoulder pain among participants was not mainly triggered by usual hauling, lifting, wrapping, and other forms of physical exhaustion. The individuals who were assessed were working as cabinet makers, meat processors, and airbag manufacturers. Hegmann said, "What we think we are seeing is that high force can accelerate rotator cuff issues but is not the primary driver."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that cardiovascular disorders are the main cause of mortality for both genders with more than half a million American deaths tallied every year. Despite this high prevalence, many of its symptoms are neglected such as physical strain. The researchers emphasized that "cardiovascular disease risk factors could be more important than job factors for incurring these types of problems (shoulder pain)."