O46 PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS AT WORK ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY

Background and Objectives: Elevated blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independently of blood pressure values. Psychosocial stressors at work are modifiable risk factors from the work environment, shown to increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The present study aims to determine whether psychosocial stressors at work have a detrimental effect on BPV. Methods: The present study relied on a prospective cohort of 3 645 white-collar workers in Quebec City evaluated at three visits: at recruitment, 3 years, and 5 years. At each visit, participants wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor during working hours and answered a questionnaire on psychosocial work stressors, as measured using validated instruments according to the demand-control (DC) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) models. Working hours BPV was calculated using average real variability. Results: A total of 7 078 observations (n = 4 246 in women and n = 2 832 in men) were available. Using the DC model, systolic and diastolic BPV were higher in active (high psychological demands, high job control) when compared to non-exposed participants (low demands, high control). Using the ERI model, systolic and diastolic BPV were higher among participants exposed to an imbalance between efforts at work and rewards when compared to unexposed participants. These associations were robust to adjustment for socio-demographics, lifestyle-related risk factors and clinical risk factors. Conclusions: Participants exposed to psychosocial stressors at work showed higher BPV than non-exposed participants. Since these risk factors are amenable to appropriate preventive intervention in workplaces, they should be considered for the primordial prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Adjusted for age, education, body mass index, alcohol intake, smoking status, sedentary behaviors, family history of CVD and medication for hypertension (as well as for sex in analyses conducted in the total sample).