Workplace hypertension is associated with obesity and family history of hypertension

Job strain, which is a risk for hypertension and increased left ventricular mass, is thought to cause masked hypertension during work even if blood pressure (BP) is normal at health examinations. To study the prevalence of and factors related to workplace hypertension, 265 public officials (mean age, 41.4 +/- 10.7 years) measured their own BP at their workplace using semiautomated BP measurement devices. Factors related to workplace hypertension were assessed with multiple regression analysis. Workplace hypertension, defined as a BP no less than 140/90 mmHg, was observed in 23% of subjects (n=61). Compared with subjects without workplace hypertension (n=204), subjects with workplace hypertension were older (48.5 +/- 10.0 vs. 393 +/- 10.0 years), more likely to be men (69% vs. 46%), and had a higher body mass index (BMI) (23.4 +/- 2.7 vs. 21.6 +/- 3.2 kg/m(2)), higher cholesterol levels (214 +/- 33 vs. 194 +/- 36 mg/dl), and a higher Brinkman index (134 +/- 228 vs. 59 +/- 148). Subjects with workplace hypertension had higher BPs at checkup than did those without it (125 +/- 11/79 +/- 9 vs. 110 +/- 11/68 +/- 0 mmHg). The increases in BPs at the workplace were independently and significantly correlated with BMI, and a family history of hypertension. BP no less than 130/ 85 mmHg at health checkup was a good detector of workplace hypertension (sensitivity, 49%; specificity, 91%), suggesting that subjects with high-normal BPs at health checkup might have workplace hypertension. In conclusion, workplace hypertension was found to be associated with age, BMI, a family history of hypertension, and high-normal BPs at health checkup.