Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Job strain in men, but not in women, predicts a significant rise in blood pressure after 6.5 years of follow-up.

Öhlin, Bertil LU ; Berglund, Göran LU ; Rosvall, Maria LU and Nilsson, Peter LU (2007) In Journal of Hypertension 25(3). p.525-531
Abstract
Background: Job strain (high demands and low decision latitude) has been associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease, especially in men. Most studies on job strain and hypertension have been cross-sectional, and prospective data are inconsistent. Objective: To prospectively describe the effects of different psychosocial work characteristics on office blood pressure changes. Methods: In total, 448 men and women, mean age 55 years, were followed for a mean of 6.5years. At baseline, work characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed. Only employed subjects aged 63 years or younger were eligible for participation. Results: Men with baseline job strain had a significantly greater increase in both systolic blood... (More)
Background: Job strain (high demands and low decision latitude) has been associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease, especially in men. Most studies on job strain and hypertension have been cross-sectional, and prospective data are inconsistent. Objective: To prospectively describe the effects of different psychosocial work characteristics on office blood pressure changes. Methods: In total, 448 men and women, mean age 55 years, were followed for a mean of 6.5years. At baseline, work characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed. Only employed subjects aged 63 years or younger were eligible for participation. Results: Men with baseline job strain had a significantly greater increase in both systolic blood pressure (7.7 mmHg, P = 0.02), and diastolic blood pressure (5.6 mmHg, P = 0.003), compared to the group with low work demands and high decision latitude ('relaxed'). These findings were significant also after adjustments for age, follow-up time, baseline blood pressure, blood pressure treatment at baseline and follow-up, and length of education. Work demands were more strongly correlated with blood pressure increase than decision latitude. For women, no significant associations between psychosocial work characteristics and blood pressure changes were found, apart from a weak trend of association between increasing decision latitude and increasing blood pressure. Conclusion: Job strain significantly predicts an increase in office blood pressure in middle-aged men, but not in women. Work demands were more strongly correlated with blood pressure increase than decision latitude in men. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
prospective studies, work, blood pressure, hypertension, stress
in
Journal of Hypertension
volume
25
issue
3
pages
525 - 531
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • wos:000244388800008
  • scopus:33846799104
ISSN
1473-5598
DOI
10.1097/HJH.0b013e32801220fa
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b7e86f13-9352-4ef4-b8ac-9cb5acdf6cd9 (old id 165889)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=17278967&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:56:23
date last changed
2022-01-28 08:11:29
@article{b7e86f13-9352-4ef4-b8ac-9cb5acdf6cd9,
  abstract     = {{Background: Job strain (high demands and low decision latitude) has been associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease, especially in men. Most studies on job strain and hypertension have been cross-sectional, and prospective data are inconsistent. Objective: To prospectively describe the effects of different psychosocial work characteristics on office blood pressure changes. Methods: In total, 448 men and women, mean age 55 years, were followed for a mean of 6.5years. At baseline, work characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed. Only employed subjects aged 63 years or younger were eligible for participation. Results: Men with baseline job strain had a significantly greater increase in both systolic blood pressure (7.7 mmHg, P = 0.02), and diastolic blood pressure (5.6 mmHg, P = 0.003), compared to the group with low work demands and high decision latitude ('relaxed'). These findings were significant also after adjustments for age, follow-up time, baseline blood pressure, blood pressure treatment at baseline and follow-up, and length of education. Work demands were more strongly correlated with blood pressure increase than decision latitude. For women, no significant associations between psychosocial work characteristics and blood pressure changes were found, apart from a weak trend of association between increasing decision latitude and increasing blood pressure. Conclusion: Job strain significantly predicts an increase in office blood pressure in middle-aged men, but not in women. Work demands were more strongly correlated with blood pressure increase than decision latitude in men.}},
  author       = {{Öhlin, Bertil and Berglund, Göran and Rosvall, Maria and Nilsson, Peter}},
  issn         = {{1473-5598}},
  keywords     = {{prospective studies; work; blood pressure; hypertension; stress}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{525--531}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Journal of Hypertension}},
  title        = {{Job strain in men, but not in women, predicts a significant rise in blood pressure after 6.5 years of follow-up.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0b013e32801220fa}},
  doi          = {{10.1097/HJH.0b013e32801220fa}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}