Perceived job stress but not individual cardiovascular reactivity to stress is related to higher blood pressure at work

Psychological stress has been reported to be related to higher blood pressure (BP) and unfavorable cardiovascular profile. However, because of the complexity of personal stress management, a multilevel stress measurement strategy is needed. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the respective influences of the subjective perception of professional strain (high demand and low latitude) and cardiovascular reactivity to a stress test (Stroop stress test) on BP. Worksite BP was measured in 303 healthy normotensive subjects, 18 to 55 years of age, who worked in the same chemical company. In a subset of 70 randomly selected subjects, 24-hour ambulatory BP was performed to assess BP during working hours. The 20% of subjects who reported the highest job strain (high-strain group) or the highest BP stress reactivity (high-responder group) were compared with the remaining subjects (80%) (non-high-strain or low-responder groups). Subjects who submitted to the highest job strain had significantly higher ambulatory diastolic BP (4.5 rrim Hg, P=0.015) during only working hours, whereas BP was similar during the remaining hours. Worksite BP and stress cardiovascular reactivity were similar between job strain groups. BP stress reactivity did not influence worksite and ambulatory BP. Spontaneous BP variability assessed by standard deviation and spectral analysis was equivalent between complementary groups. Prevalence of microalbuminuria was significantly higher in the high-responder group (8.2% versus 2.5% in low responders) and only slightly higher in the high-strain group (6.2% versus 3.2% in non-high strain). Potential confounding factors, such as age, gender, alcohol consumption, salt intake, body mass index, and occupation, which were equivalent between groups, did not interfere with our results. Our study quantifies high-professional strain effects on BP levels that appear to be higher only during the working period and to be independent from spontaneous BP variability and stress BP reactivity.