The effects of stress at work and at home on inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.
This study examined whether stress at work and at home may be related to dysregulation of inflammation and endothelial function, two important contributors to the development of cardiovascular disease. In order to explore potential biological mechanisms linking stress with cardiovascular health, we investigated cross-sectional associations between stress at work and at home with an inflammation score (n's range from 406-433) and with two endothelial biomarkers (intercellular and vascular adhesion molecules, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1; n's range from 205-235) in a cohort of healthy US male health professionals. No associations were found between stress at work or at home and inflammation. Men with high or medium levels of stress at work had significantly higher levels of sVCAM-1 (13% increase) and marginally higher levels of sICAM-1 (9% increase), relative to those reporting low stress at work, independent of health behaviors. Men with high levels of stress at home had marginally higher levels of both sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 than those with low stress at home. While lack of findings related to inflammation are somewhat surprising, if replicated in future studies, these findings may suggest that endothelial dysfunction is an important biological mechanism linking stress at work with cardiovascular health outcomes in men.
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.
Amy L
AL
Non
Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Eric B
EB
Rimm
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Ichiro
I
Kawachi
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Marissa A
MA
Rewak
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Laura D
LD
Kubzansky
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D016526:Workload
D015415:Biomarkers; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1