Psychosocial stress at work and cardiovascular diseases: an overview of systematic reviews

Abstract

PurposeBased on information reported in systematic reviews (SRevs), this study aimed to find out whether psychosocial stress at work leads to cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality.MethodsA systematic search in PubMed and EMBASE (until 2014) used a string based on PICOS components. A manual search was followed. Applying the predefined criteria, two reviewers independently screened the titles, abstracts, selected full texts, and validated their quality. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion between reviewers. Studies of low quality were excluded. Contents of enrolled SRevs were extracted by one reviewer; a second reviewer evaluated their accurateness.ResultsThe search resulted in 462 records. Six SRevs based on 81 studies (total population: ~1,468,670) fulfilled the inclusion criteria, four of “very good” (++) and two of “good” (+) quality. Excluded records were filed, and reasons for exclusion were documented in all cases. Different stress models were used to measure the work-related stress; the “demand-control model” was most commonly used. The two enrolled meta-analysis confirmed a modest (1.32, 95 % CI 1.09–1.59; Virtanen et al. 2013) to moderate evidence (1.45, 95 % CI 1.15–1.84; Kivimäki et al. 2006), predominantly among men, for the association between psychosocial stress at work and CV outcomes. Due to lacking information, it was not possible to give evidence on the dose–response relationship.ConclusionsSame to a SRev, an overview of SRev is used to summarize literature and identify areas in which research is needed. This overview can be used to: (a) Disseminate an up-to-date information on work-related stress as a risk factors for CV morbidity and mortality to government, health care providers, workers, and other stakeholders; (b) Encourage governments to better regulate the working conditions and consider work-related psychosocial stress as a hazardous factor that leads to CV diseases or mortality; and (c) Analyze gaps in the literature and provide a summary of research needs.

Cardiovascular disease prevention at the workplace: assessing the prognostic value of lifestyle risk factors and job-related conditions

“…Interventions at the workplace promoting healthy diet, physical activity (PA) and tobacco control, and addressing alcohol abuse, have been recommended to reduce the risk at a population level (Piepoli et al 2016). Besides lifestyle behaviors, a number of job-related individual exposures including perceived work stress, low occupational physical activity (OPA), long working hours and shift work have been consistently associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity by systematic reviews and meta-analyses (Fishta and Backé 2015; Li and Siegrist 2012; Kivimäki et al 2015; Vyas et al 2012). Recent literature supports the so-called OPA paradox, with increased CVD risk of high-intensity physical activity at work (Holtermann et al 2018) and, more relevant for preventive purposes, the combined effect of OPA and sport PA during leisure time (Ferrario et al 2018).…”

Pregnancy Loss and Carotid Intima–Media Thickness in Mexican Women

“…25 Continual activation of these pathways often results from highly stressful life events and has been associated with markers of cardiovascular risk and CVD. 26 Miscarriages result mainly from embryonic anomalies, whereas stillbirths are attributed to obstetric conditions and placental abnormalities. 27,28 However, both conditions appear to have similar risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (25% for miscarriage and 21% for stillbirth).…”

Impacto del trabajo a turnos en la salud y la conciliación laboral/familiar del personal de enfermería en el Hospital General San Jorge de Huesca

“…que son conocidas popularmente como "estrés" y que pueden ser precursoras de enfermedad en ciertas circunstancias de intensidad, frecuencia y duración 25,26 . La exposición laboral a estos factores se ha identificado como una de las causas más relevantes de absentismo laboral por motivos de salud 27 , y se ha relacionado muy especialmente con problemas de salud altamente prevalentes como las enfermedades cardiovasculares 28,29 , los trastornos de la salud mental 30 y músculoesqueléticos 31,32 . La combinación de unas altas exigencias con un bajo nivel de control sobre el trabajo (alta tensión en la literatura científica) o con pocas compensaciones, doblan el riesgo de muerte por enfermedad cardiovascular, enfermedades que constituyen la principal causa de muerte en nuestro país 33 .…”