Job Strain and Early Atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether job strain and social support are associated with early atherosclerosis measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in young adults. METHODS: The subjects were 478 men and 542 women (mean age 32.3) who were participating in the ongoing prospective Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Job strain was defined as a joint effect of job demands and job control. Early atherosclerosis was determined with IMT ultrasound. The associations between job strain, social support, and IMT were evaluated using multiple linear regressions. RESULTS: In men, job strain was associated with increased IMT after adjustment for age. This association was not attenuated by additional adjustment for established risk factors of coronary heart disease. In women, job strain was not associated with IMT. No 3-way interaction of job demand, job control, and social support on IMT was found. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that job strain may be related to atherosclerosis already in its early nonsymptomatic stages in men.