Sex differences in heart rate responses to occupational stress

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Cardiovascular research
• Wearable technology

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading global health burden.
• Chronic stress, including occupational stressors, is linked to increased CVD risk.
• Wearable devices offer noninvasive methods to monitor physiological responses during work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine heart rate (HR) changes during a work shift in a retail setting.
• To investigate the influence of sex and physical fitness on HR responses to occupational stress.
• To assess the utility of wearable technology in monitoring cardiovascular changes during work.

Main Methods:

• Utilized wearable technology (Apple Watch) to track HR in 23 healthy subjects across three work shifts.
• Monitored HR continuously throughout typical work shifts in a retail environment.
• Analyzed HR data in relation to sex, physical fitness, time of day, and shift duration.

Main Results:

• HR significantly increased during work shifts, reaching levels associated with moderate stressors (resting HR 83.2 BPM vs. highest HR mean 109.1 BPM).
• Female subjects showed significantly higher maximum HR, greater HR change, and larger percent HR change compared to males.
• Physical activity status, time of day, and shift length did not significantly modulate the observed HR changes.

Conclusions:

• Work shifts can induce significant cardiovascular stress, measurable by wearable devices.
• Females exhibit distinct HR responses to occupational stress compared to males.
• Wearable technology holds promise for biomedical research and personalized health monitoring in occupational settings.