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Chronic work stress is associated with atherogenic lipids and elevated fibrinogen in middle-aged men
J Siegrist1, R Peter, P Cremer
1Institute of Medical Sociology, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany. siegrist@uni-duesseldorf.de
Insights
Chronic work stress, defined as high effort and low reward, is independently associated with elevated low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and fibrinogen levels in middle-aged men.
Area of Science:
- Occupational health
- Cardiovascular disease risk factors
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Chronic work stress is a growing concern in modern workplaces.
- Understanding its impact on cardiovascular health is crucial.
- Specific work stress models, like high effort-low reward, warrant investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between a chronic work stress model (high effort, low reward) and key coronary heart disease risk factors.
- To examine the relationship with low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and fibrinogen levels.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 179 healthy middle-aged male middle managers.
- Data collected from a large German car-producing enterprise.
- Logistic regression analysis adjusted for relevant covariates.
Main Results:
- A composite measure of high effort and low reward independently predicted elevated LDL-cholesterol (POR = 3.57).
- The same work stress measure was associated with elevated plasma fibrinogen (POR = 6.71).
- Cigarette smoking, overweight, and alcohol consumption were significant covariates.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary evidence suggests an independent link between chronic work stress and atherogenic lipids.
- Elevated fibrinogen is also associated with this work stress model in this cohort.
- Findings highlight the importance of addressing work stress for cardiovascular health in middle-aged men.
Objectives:
To examine the association between a model of chronic work stress (high efforts in combination with low rewards) and two risk factors of coronary heart disease, low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and fibrinogen.
Design:
A cross-sectional study in a group of 179 healthy middle-aged (48.5 +/- 4.5) male middle managers.
Setting:
A large car-producing enterprise in Germany.
Results:
After adjustment for relevant covariates, logistic regression analysis showed independent effects of a composite measure of high effort and low reward at work on the prevalence of elevated (upper tertile, i.e. > or = 160 mg dL-1) LDL-cholesterol (prevalence odds ratio (POR) = 3.57; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.24-10.20) and on elevated (upper quintile, i.e. > or = 420 mg dL-1) plasma fibrinogen (POR = 6.71 (CI: 1.57-28.76). Apart from this core measure, cigarette smoking, overweight and alcohol consumption were the covariates with the relatively strongest contributions to the multivariate model.
Conclusions:
Results give preliminary evidence on an independent association of chronic work stress with atherogenic lipids and with elevated fibrinogen in an occupationally homogeneous group of healthy middle-aged men.