This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Abstract
Objective: Prospective cohort studies regarding job strain and the risk of stroke are controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between job strain and the risk of stroke.
Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched for prospective cohort studies with data on job strain and the risk of stroke. Studies were included if they reported adjusted relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of stroke from job strain. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to sex and stroke type.
Results: Six prospective cohort studies comprising 138,782 participants were included. High strain jobs were associated with increased risk of stroke (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.01–1.47) compared with low strain jobs. The result was more pronounced for ischemic stroke (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.12–2.23). The risk of stroke was significant in women (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.04–1.69) and nonsignificant in men (RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.69–2.27), but the difference in RRs in sex subgroups was not significant. Neither active (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90–1.28) nor passive (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.86–1.18) job characteristics were associated with an increased risk of stroke compared with low strain jobs.
Conclusions: Exposure to high strain jobs was associated with an increased risk of stroke, especially in women. Further studies are needed to confirm whether interventions to reduce work stress decrease the risk of stroke.
GLOSSARY
- CHD=
- coronary heart disease;
- CI=
- confidence interval;
- CVD=
- cardiovascular disease;
- DCM=
- demand–control model;
- HR=
- hazard ratio;
- PAR=
- population attributable risk;
- RR=
- relative risk
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
↵* These authors contributed equally to this work.
Supplemental data at Neurology.org
Editorial, page 1640
- Received December 17, 2014.
- Accepted in final form April 28, 2015.
- © 2015 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
- Re:Job strain and risk of stroke: Is current research conclusive?
- Stress and cardiovascular disease: could working better mean less stroke?
- Job strain and risk of stroke: Is current research conclusive?
REQUIREMENTS
If you are uploading a letter concerning an article:
You must have updated your disclosures within six months: http://submit.neurology.org
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.