Job demand and cardiovascular disease risk factor in white-collar workers

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine whether job demand played a role as a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases by comparing changes of blood pressure, heart rate and rate pressure product (RPP) showing myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) according to levels of job demand. This cross-sectional study divided 177 male white-collar workers without a cardiovascular or metabolic disease according to their job demand and analyzed their body composition and results of graded exercise testing. There was no significant difference in height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and body fat percentage according to job demand. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2max) and anaerobic threshold (AT) also did not show a significant difference. However, systolic blood pressures at the seventh and eighth stages over AT during exercise were significantly different and RPP was found to have a significant difference overall according to the job demand (p<0.05). These results meant that job demand affected systolic pressure in physical activities or at exercise intensity over AT and reduced energy efficiency of myocardium during physical activities. The results suggest that high job demand may be a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases.