CHANGES IN PLASMA-LIPIDS AND DIETARY-INTAKE ACCOMPANYING SHIFTS IN PERCEIVED WORKLOAD AND STRESS

Plasma lipids, dietary intake, and self-reported stress and workload were assessed in 14 employees twice before major work deadlines (high workload), and once during a comparatively quiescent period of work (low workload). Increases in self-reported stress and workload between the high and low workload periods were significantly positively associated with increases in plasma total cholesterol, although lipid levels were not increased in the group as a whole during the high workload periods. Dietary intake of calories, total fat, and percentage of calories from fat were significantly higher during high workload than low workload. These findings show that the perception of increased stress and workload during a period of high workload is associated with elevated total cholesterol and that dietary intake of foods which raise cholesterol levels is also increased. Further studies of larger groups of subjects may be required to show a frank increase in cholesterol with increased workload.