Abstract
This review builds firstly on summaries of high-quality studies between 1985 and 2018 of the relationship between organizational and psychosocial exposures on one hand and ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke on the other hand. Secondly, a similar review was made of scientific studies of the relationship between exposure to chemicals at work on one hand and IHD and stroke on the other hand.
There was moderately strong to limited evidence for a significant relationship between job strain, small decision latitude, iso-strain, effort-reward imbalance, low support, lack of justice, lack of skill discretion, insecure employment, night work, long working week, and noise on one hand and increased IHD risk on the other hand. For chemicals, it was shown that job exposure to quartz dust, motor exhaust smoke, welding, benzo-a-pyrene, plumb, dynamite, carbon disulfide, carbon monoxide, liquids for cutting metal, phenoxy acids, asbestos, and tobacco smoking increases IHD risk. Stroke has not been examined to the same extent as IHD, so the evidence is still less convincing although for some exposures the same findings were made as for IHD.
Conclusion: Many types of job exposure may accelerate the onset of cardiovascular disease. For some factors the scientific evidence is on level three on a four-graded scale. There is need for more studies of combined effects of psychosocial and chemical risk factors on cardiovascular risk. There is also need for evaluations of interventions in the psychosocial field. In the chemical and physical exposure field, decreased exposure constitutes the intervention!
Keywords
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
References
Belkic KL, Landsbergis PA, Schnall PL, Baker D (2004) Is job strain a major source of cardiovascular disease risk? Scand J Work Environ Health 30:85–128
Bosma H, Peter R, Siegrist J, Marmot M (1998) Two alternative job stress models and the risk of coronary heart disease. Am J Public Health 88:68–74
Carreon T, Hein MJ, Hanley KW, Viet SM, Ruder AM (2014) Coronary artery disease and cancer mortality in a cohort of workers exposed to vinyl chloride, carbon disulfide, rotating shift work, and o-toluidine at a chemical manufacturing plant. Am J Ind Med 57:398–411
Chandola T, Britton A, Brunner E, Hemingway H, Malik M, Kumari M, Badrick E, Kivimaki M, Marmot M (2008) Work stress and coronary heart disease: what are the mechanisms? Eur Heart J 29:640–648
Choi B, Dobson M, Landsbergis PA, Ko S, Yang H, Schnall P, Baker DRE (2013) Need for more individual-level meta-analyses in social epidemiology: example of job strain and coronary heart disease. Am J Epidemiol 178:1007–1008
de Lange AH, Taris TW, Kompier MA, Houtman IL, Bongers PM (2002) Effects of stable and changing demand-control histories on worker health. Scand J Work Environ Health 28:94–108
Demerouti E, Bakker AB, Nachreiner F, Schaufeli WB (2001) The job demands-resources model of burnout. J Appl Psychol 86:499–512
Dragano N, Siegrist J, Nyberg ST, Lunau T, Fransson EI, Alfredsson L, Bjorner JB, Borritz M, Burr H, Erbel R, Fahlén G, Goldberg M, Hamer M, Heikkilä K, Jöckel KH, Knutsson A, Madsen IEH, Nielsen ML, Nordin M, Oksanen T, Pejtersen JH, Pentti J, Rugulies R, Salo P, Schupp J, Singh-Manoux A, Steptoe A, Theorell T, Vahtera J, Westerholm PJM, Westerlund H, Virtanen M, Zins M, Batty GD, Kivimäki M, IPD-Work consortium (2017) Effort-reward imbalance at work and incident coronary heart disease: a Multicohort Study of 90,164 individuals. Epidemiology 28:619–626. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000666
Eller NH, Netterstrøm B, Gyntelberg F, Kristensen TS, Nielsen F, Steptoe A, Theorell T (2009) Work-related psychosocial factors and the development of ischemic heart disease: a systematic review. Cardiol Rev 17:83–97
Feigin VL, Forouzanfar MH, Krishnamurthi R, Mensah GA, Connor M, Bennett DA, Moran AE, Sacco RL, Anderson L, Truelsen T, O’Donnell M, Venketasubramanian N, Barker-Collo S, Lawes CM, Wang W, Shinohara Y, Witt E, Ezzati M, Naghavi M, Murray C (2014) Global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors study 2010 (GBD 2010) and the GBD Stroke Experts Group. Global and regional burden of stroke during 1990–2010: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet 383(9913):245–254
Hasson H, Gilbert-Ouimet M, Baril-Gingras G, Brisson C, Vézina M, Bourbonnais R, Montreuil S (2012) Implementation of an organizational-level intervention on the psychosocial environment of work: comparison of managers’ and employees’ views. J Occup Environ Med 54:85–91
Hernberg S, Tolonen M, Nurminen M (1976) Eight-year follow-up of viscose rayon workers exposed to carbon disulphide. Scand J Work Env Health 2:27–30
Jauregui M, Schnall PL (2009) Work, psychosocial stressors and the bottom line. In: Schnall PL, Dobson M, Rosskam E (eds) Unhealthy work. Baywood Publishing, Amityville
Johnson JV, Hall EM (1988) Job strain, work place social support, and cardiovascular disease: a cross-sectional study of a random sample of the Swedish working population. Am J Public Health 78:1336–1342
Karasek R (1979) Job demands, job decision latitude and mental strain: implications for job redesign. Adm Sci Q 24:285–307
Karasek RA, Theorell T (1990) Healthy work. Basic Books, New York
Kivimäki M, Kawachi I (2015) Work stress as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Curr Cardiol Rep 17:74
Kivimäki M, Steptoe A (2018) Effects of stress on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Nat Rev Cardiol 15:215–229. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2017.189. Epub 2017 Dec 7
Kivimäki M, Nyberg ST, Batty GD, Fransson EI, Heikkilä K, Alfredsson L, Bjorner JB, Borritz M, Burr H, Casini A, Clays E, De Bacquer D, Dragano N, Ferrie JE, Geuskens GA, Goldberg M, Hamer M, Hooftman WE, Houtman IL, Joensuu M, Jokela M, Kittel F, Knutsson A, Koskenvuo M, Koskinen A, Kouvonen A, Kumari M, Madsen IE, Marmot MG, Nielsen ML, Nordin M, Oksanen T, Pentti J, Rugulies R, Salo P, Siegrist J, Singh-Manoux A, Suominen SB, Väänänen A, Vahtera J, Virtanen M, Westerholm PJ, Westerlund H, Zins M, Steptoe A, Theorell T, IPD-Work Consortium (2012) Job strain as a risk factor for coronary heart disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of individual participant data. Lancet 380:1491–1497
Kivimäki M, Jokela M, Nyberg ST, Singh-Manoux A, Fransson EI, Alfredsson L, Bjorner JB, Borritz M, Burr H, Casini A, Clays E, De Bacquer D, Dragano N, Erbel R, Geuskens GA, Hamer M, Hooftman WE, Houtman IL, Jöckel KH, Kittel F, Knutsson A, Koskenvuo M, Lunau T, Madsen IE, Nielsen ML, Nordin M, Oksanen T, Pejtersen JH, Pentti J, Rugulies R, Salo P, Shipley MJ, Siegrist J, Steptoe A, Suominen SB, Theorell T, Vahtera J, Westerholm PJ, Westerlund H, O’Reilly D, Kumari M, Batty GD, Ferrie JE, Virtanen M, IPD-Work Consortium (2015a) Long working hours and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished data for 603 838 individuals. Lancet 386:1739–1746
Kivimäki M, Nyberg ST, Kawachi I (2015b) Authors’ reply: calculation of population attributable risk should to be based on robust estimates. Scand J Work Environ Health 41:506–507
Kivimäki M, Nyberg ST, Batty GD, Kawachi I, Jokela M, Alfredsson L, Bjorner JB, Borritz M, Burr H, Dragano N, Fransson EI, Heikkilä K, Knutsson A, Koskenvuo M, Kumari M, Madsen IEH, Nielsen ML, Nordin M, Oksanen T, Pejtersen JH, Pentti J, Rugulies R, Salo P, Shipley MJ, Suominen S, Theorell T, Vahtera J, Westerholm P, Westerlund H, Steptoe A, Singh-Manoux A, Hamer M, Ferrie JE, Virtanen M, Tabak AG, IPD-Work consortium (2017) Long working hours as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation: a multi-cohort study. Eur Heart J 38:2621–2628
Kristensen TS, Kornitzer M, Alfredsson L (1998) Social factors, work, stress and cardiovascular disease prevention. The European Heart Network, Brussels
Kristensen TS, Bjorner JB, Christensen KB, Borg V (2004) The distinction between work pace and working hours in the measurement of quantitative demands at work. Work Stress 18:305. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678370412331314005
Li J, Zhang M, Loerbroks A, Angerer P, Siegrist J (2015) Work stress and the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease events: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 28:8–19
Michie S, Williams S (2003) Reducing work related psychological ill health and sickness absence: a systematic literature review. Occup Environ Med 60:3–9
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Ann Internal Med 151:264–269
Montano D, Hoven H, Siegrist J (2014) Effects of organisational-level interventions at work on employees’ health: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 14:135
Nationella Kvalitetsregister. Nationellt register för hjärtintensivvård, kranskärlsröntgen, PCI, hjärtkirurgi och sekundärprevention – SWEDE-HEART (National register for acute coronary care, coronary artery X-ray, PCI, heart surgery and secondary prevention – SWEDE-HEART, Jernberg, T. http://www.kvalitetsregister.se/hittaregister/registerarkiv/hjartkarlsjukdom.187.htmal
Nyberg ST, Fransson EI, Heikkilä K, Ahola K, Alfredsson L, Bjorner JB, Borritz M, Burr H, Dragano N, Goldberg M, Hamer M, Jokela M, Knutsson A, Koskenvuo M, Koskinen A, Kouvonen A, Leineweber C, Madsen IE, Magnusson Hanson LL, Marmot MG, Nielsen ML, Nordin M, Oksanen T, Pejtersen JH, Pentti J, Rugulies R, Salo P, Siegrist J, Steptoe A, Suominen S, Theorell T, Väänänen A, Vahtera J, Virtanen M, Westerholm PJ, Westerlund H, Zins M, Batty GD, Brunner EJ, Ferrie JE, Singh-Manoux A, Kivimäki M, IPD-Work Consortium (2014) Job strain as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes: a pooled analysis of 124,808 men and women. Diabetes Care 37:2268–2275
Peter R, Siegrist J, Hallqvist J, Reuterwall C, Theorell T, SHEEP Study Group (2002) Psychosocial work environment and myocardial infarction: improving risk estimation by combining two complementary job stress models in the SHEEP Study. J Epidemiol Comm Health 56:294–300
Piepoli MF, Agewall S, Albus C, Brotons C, Catapano AL, Cooney M-T, Corra U, Cosyns B, Deaton C, Graham I, Hall MS, Hobbs FDR, Löchen M-L, Löllge HL, Marques-Vidal P, Perk J, Prescott E, Redon J, Richter DJ, Sattar N, Smulders Y, Tiberi M, van der Worp HB, van Dis I, Verschuren WMM (2016) 2016 European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: the sixth joint task force of the European Society of Cardiology and Other Societies on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice. Eur Heart J 37:2315–2381. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehw106
Richards SH, Anderson L, Jenkinson CE, Whalley B, Rees K, Davies P, Bennett P, Liu Z, West R, Thompson DR, Taylor RS (2017) Psychological interventions for coronary heart disease: cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. Cochrane Library
Romanowska J, Larsson G, Eriksson M, Wikström BM, Westerlund H, Theorell T (2011) Health effects on leaders and co-workers of an art-based leadership development program. Psychother Psychosom 80:78–87
SBU (2017) Arbetsmiljöns betydelse för hjärtkärlsjukdom – exponering för kemiska ämnen. (The significance of the work environment to heart disease – exposure to chemical agents. Albin M, Hall C, Hogstedt C, Sjögren B, Theorell T) Stockholm: Statens beredning för medicinsk och social utvärdering (SBU); SBU-rapport nr 261/2017
Shields M (2006) Stress and depression in the employed population. Health Rep 17:11–29
Siegrist J (1996) Adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions. J Occup Health Psychol 1:27–41
Stansfeld SA, Shipley MJ, Head J, Fuhrer R (2012) Repeated job strain and the risk of depression: longitudinal analyses from the Whitehall II study. Am J Public Health 102:2360–2366
Theorell T (2012) Stress reduction programmes for the workplace. In: Gatchel RJ, Schultz IZ (eds) Handbook of occupational health and wellness. Springer, Boston, pp 383–403
Theorell T, Hasselhorn HM (2005) On cross-sectional questionnaire studies of relationships between psychosocial conditions at work and health – are they reliable? Int Arch Occup Environ Health 78:517–522
Theorell T, Emdad R, Arnetz B, Weingarten AM (2001) Employee effects of an educational program for managers at an insurance company. Psychosom Med 63:724–733
Theorell T, Brisson C, Vezina M, Milot A, Gilbert-Ouimet M (2015) Psychosocial factors in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Chapter 18. In: Gielen S, de Backer G, Piepoli MF, Wood D (eds) The ESC textbook of preventive cardiology. Oxford University Press, London
Theorell T, Jood K, Slunga Järvholm L, Vingård E, Perk J, Östergren P-O, Hall C (2016) A systematic review of studies in the contribution of the work environment to ischemic heart disease development. BMC Public Health 26:470–477
Torén K, Schiöler L, Giang WK, Novak M, Söderberg M, Rosengren A (2014) A longitudinal general population-based study of job strain and risk for coronary heart disease and stroke in Swedish men. BMJ Open 4(3):e004355. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004355
Torp S, Grøgaard JB, Moen BE, Bråtveit M (2005) The impact of social and organizational factors on workers’ use of personal protective equipment: a multilevel approach. J Occup Environ Med 47:829–837
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Theorell, T. (2019). Occupational Determinants of Cardiovascular Disorders Including Stroke. In: Bültmann, U., Siegrist, J. (eds) Handbook of Disability, Work and Health. Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75381-2_9-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75381-2_9-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75381-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75381-2
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences