title: The effect of job strain on nighttime blood pressure dipping among men and women with high blood         pressure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Blunted nighttime blood pressure dipping is an established cardiovascular risk factor. This study         examined the effect of job strain on nighttime blood pressure dipping among men and women with high blood pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 122 blue- and white collar workers (men=72, women=50). The Job Content Questionnaire         was used to measure job psychological demands, job control, and social support. The ratio of job demands to job control         was used to assess job strain. Nighttime blood pressure dipping was evaluated from 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure         monitoring performed on three workdays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men with high job strain had a 5.4 mm Hg higher sleep systolic blood         pressure (P=0.03) and 3.5 mm Hg higher sleep pulse pressure (P=0.02) compared to men with low job strain. Men with high         job strain had a smaller fall in systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure from awake to sleep state than those with         low job strain (P<0.05). Hierarchical analyses showed that job strain was an independent determinant of systolic         blood pressure dipping (P=0.03) among men after adjusting for ethnicity, body mass index, anxiety and depression         symptoms, current smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Further exploratory analyses indicated that job control was         the salient component of job strain associated with blood pressure dipping (P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High job strain is         associated with a blunting of the normal diurnal variation in blood pressure and pulse pressure, which may contribute         to the relationship between job strain and cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA..
authors.forename: Lin-Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hinderliter
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sherwood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009790:Occupations; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017132:Workplace