Re:Job strain and risk of stroke: Is current research conclusive?
DingliXu, Director, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical Universitydinglixu@fimmu.com
Yuli Huang,Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou
Submitted December 30, 2015
We thank Dr. Bianchi for the comments on our recent article. [1] In this study, people with high-stress jobs had a 22-percent higher risk of stroke. [1] Previous studies reported that work stress was associated with unhealthy life behavior, cardiovascular risk factors, and neuroendocrine perturbations. [2-4] These studies also noted the potential mechanisms involved in the association between job strain and risk of stroke.
Psychological stress has many sources. We focused on the association of work stress and stroke, because, in modern society, stress from work may be the most important source of psychological responses. Limited studies show a direct interaction between work stress and other non-occupational strain factors. A recently published study showed that high job strain and bad family circumstance may have a combined impact on risk of mortality, but job strain was still associated with mortality within each studied family circumstance. [5] This study supported the idea that the health hazard of job strain is independent of life stress. Integrative studies exploring the risk of stroke by taking multiple strains into account are needed.
1. Huang Y, Xu S, Hua J, et al. Association between job strain and risk of incident stroke: a meta-analysis. Neurology 2015;85:1648-1654.
2. Nyberg ST, Fransson EI, Heikkila K, et al. Job strain and cardiovascular disease risk factors: meta-analysis of individual-participant data from 47,000 men and women. PLoS One 2013;8:e67323.
3. Hellerstedt WL, Jeffery RW. The association of job strain and health behaviours in men and women. Int J Epidemiol 1997;26:575-583.
4. Chandola T, Britton A, Brunner E, et al. Work stress and coronary heart disease: what are the mechanisms? Eur Heart J 2008;29:640-648.
5. Sabbath EL, Mejia-Guevara I, Noelke C, Berkman LF. The long-term mortality impact of combined job strain and family circumstances: A life course analysis of working American mothers. Soc Sci Med 2015;146:111- 119.
For disclosures, please contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.
We thank Dr. Bianchi for the comments on our recent article. [1] In this study, people with high-stress jobs had a 22-percent higher risk of stroke. [1] Previous studies reported that work stress was associated with unhealthy life behavior, cardiovascular risk factors, and neuroendocrine perturbations. [2-4] These studies also noted the potential mechanisms involved in the association between job strain and risk of stroke.
Psychological stress has many sources. We focused on the association of work stress and stroke, because, in modern society, stress from work may be the most important source of psychological responses. Limited studies show a direct interaction between work stress and other non-occupational strain factors. A recently published study showed that high job strain and bad family circumstance may have a combined impact on risk of mortality, but job strain was still associated with mortality within each studied family circumstance. [5] This study supported the idea that the health hazard of job strain is independent of life stress. Integrative studies exploring the risk of stroke by taking multiple strains into account are needed.
1. Huang Y, Xu S, Hua J, et al. Association between job strain and risk of incident stroke: a meta-analysis. Neurology 2015;85:1648-1654.
2. Nyberg ST, Fransson EI, Heikkila K, et al. Job strain and cardiovascular disease risk factors: meta-analysis of individual-participant data from 47,000 men and women. PLoS One 2013;8:e67323.
3. Hellerstedt WL, Jeffery RW. The association of job strain and health behaviours in men and women. Int J Epidemiol 1997;26:575-583.
4. Chandola T, Britton A, Brunner E, et al. Work stress and coronary heart disease: what are the mechanisms? Eur Heart J 2008;29:640-648.
5. Sabbath EL, Mejia-Guevara I, Noelke C, Berkman LF. The long-term mortality impact of combined job strain and family circumstances: A life course analysis of working American mothers. Soc Sci Med 2015;146:111- 119.
For disclosures, please contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.