Work stressors and cardiovascular disease

Over the past 20 years, an extensive body of research evidence has documented that psychosocial work stressors are risk factors for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These stressors, which appear to be increasing in prevalence, include job strain (the combination of psychological job demands and low job control), imbalance between job efforts and rewards, threat-avoidant vigilant work, and long work hours. This article reviews the evidence linking these stressors with hypertension and CVD, and the physiological and social psychological mechanisms underlying the associations. Also described are methods for measuring work stressors and new, more accurate techniques for measuring blood pressure. Finally, strategies for reducing work stressors and preventing hypertension and CVD are reviewed. These include clinical assessment, worksite health promotion, work organization interventions, legal approaches and work site surveillance.