Job strain and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1: results from the Swedish WOLF study

Objectives To investigate the association between job strain and elevated levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out, comprising 1,954 actively working men and women between the ages of 19–64 years. Data were collected by questionnaire, clinical examination and blood samples.Results Elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels were more commonly noted in women exposed to job strain than in unexposed women (odds ratio 1.33; 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.65). This association remained after we had adjusted for factors related to behaviour and general health, but became close to 1 after we had adjusted for factors related to the metabolic syndrome. For men, no association between job strain and elevated levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 was observed (odds ratio 0.94; 95% confidence interval 0.71–1.26).Conclusions Women exposed to job strain were more inclined to respond with increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 than men. In this first study on the association between job strain and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in both men and women, we observed such a relationship among women but not among men. The data support the notion that job strain might affect the risk of coronary heart disease by influencing an important cardiovascular system: the metabolic syndrome.