The Effects of Personal Interaction on Triglyceride and Uric Acid Levels, and Coronary Risk in a Managerial Population: A Longitudinal Study

This two year longitudinal study of managers investigated whether the level of interaction with other individuals was a job stressor that influences coronary risk factors. The results presented here show that increased levels of interaction were associated with increased serum triglyceride and increased serum uric acid levels. It is suggested that past research positing stress effects from responsibility for people may be due to interaction levels rather than responsibility per se. It was also found that Type A behavior and physical activity levels moderated these effects. While it is difficult to say that personal interaction, as a job stressor, contributes very significantly to either coronary risk factors or coronary heart disease the evidence supports the hypothesis that the amount of interaction has some specific stress effects.