title: Work Stress and Metabolic Syndrome in Police Officers. A Prospective Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the association between occupational stress and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a rapid response police unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Work-related stress was continuously monitored during the 5-year period with both the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models. Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose were measured at baseline in January 2009, and in January 2014. 234 out of 290 police officers (81%) completed the follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of police officers had high stress levels. At follow-up, police officers in the highest quartile of stress had significantly higher mean levels of triglycerides, and lower levels of HDL-cholesterol than their colleagues in the lowest quartile. Police officers with high stress had an increased adjusted risk of developing MetS (aOR = 2.68; CI95% = 1.08-6.70), and hypertriglyceridemia (aOR = 7.86; CI95 = 1.29-48.04). Demand and Effort were significant predictors of MetS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study supports the hypothesis that work-related stress induces MetS, particularly through its effects on blood lipids. Future longitudinal studies with continuous monitoring of stress levels will definitively confirm this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: State Police Health Service Department, Ministry of the Interior, Rome, Genoa, Italy.|Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.|Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal-Infantile Sciences (DINOGMI), Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garbarino
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Magnavita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D016495:Police; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides