Job stress and cardiovascular diseases with health workers

Due to increasing number of patients, reduced possibilities of diagnostics and therapy as well as poor living conditions as a result of total socio-political and economic situation in our country in the last ten years, health workers have been exposed to additional stress factors. Therefore, we wonted to establish to what extent professional stress affects appearance of complications in arterial hypertension with health workers. The examination included employees treated in the health centers "Hospital" and "Novi Sad". According to register for chronic mass non-contagious diseases of MONICA Project, younger patients suffering from arterial hypertension were excluded. From the aspect of possible causative factors of occupation on appearance of cardiovascular complications in patients already suffering from arterial hypertension, the examined group involved doctors and nurses. The control group included laboratory technicians, clerks, cleaners and service workers. It was established that doctors and nurses with hypertension registered in earlier life periods, were more vulnerable to angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular insult as complications, compared to the rest of employees (if age as a risk factor is excluded) (RR = 3.7; 95% confidence interval 1.6 < RR < 8.6).