title: Lipid peroxidation, occupational stress and aging in workers of a prehospital emergency service.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stressful conditions lead to formation of excessive free radicals, and lipid peroxidation is one of the major outcomes of free radical-mediated injury that directly damages membranes and generates a number of secondary products.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the levels of malondialdehyde, an end product of lipid peroxidation, according to demographic and occupational variables in workers of a prehospital emergency service and to analyse the relationship between malondialdehyde levels and burnout.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eleven healthy workers of a prehospital emergency service and eighty aged-matched healthy individuals of both sexes as a control group were surveyed. Malondialdehyde levels were measured by the Bull and Marnett method. To measure burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Professional category is associated with lipid peroxidation and burnout levels (Malondialdehyde levels were: physicians 338.10+/-14.47, nurses 329.17+/-12.62 and technicians 296.74+/-14.28; burnout levels were: physicians 41.29+/-3.59, nurses 37.38+/-6.05 and technicians 35.33+/-5.87). Working at night and in the evening increased malondialdehyde and burnout levels. Malondialdehyde levels increase with age. No significant variations with respect to sex were detected. Significant variations in malondialdehyde levels were detected between singles (303.13+/-12.74) and married people (344.43+/-13.43) but not with respect to divorcees (326.44+/-11.74). Significant differences were detected in erythrocyte malondialdehyde levels between smokers (341.37+/-17.09) and nonsmokers (302.21+/-12.38), but not for alcohol consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest a positive correlation between malondialdehyde, a biomarker of lipid peroxidation and occupational stress, as estimated by elements of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and oxidative stress.
authors: Physiopathology and Human Molecular Genetics Department, Biological Research Centre (CIB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. acasado@cib.csic.es
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Casado
authors: Nieves
authors: N
authors: De Lucas
authors: Encarnación
authors: E
authors: López-Fernández
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Sánchez
authors: José-Antonio
authors: JA
authors: Jimenez