Key result
Heavy occupational lifting was cross-sectionally associated with a 3% lower odds of hypertension (OR 0.97), though prospective data suggested a potential increased risk among workers aged 50 years and older.
Why the study?
Prevalence of hypertension varies across occupations, potentially due to differences in exposure to occupational lifting.
Does heavy occupational lifting increase the risk of hypertension in the general working population?
Cohort (n=67,363)
Does heavy occupational lifting increase the risk of hypertension in the general working population?
Odds Ratio: 0.97 (95% CI 0.93–1)
Heavy occupational lifting may increase the risk of developing hypertension, particularly in older workers, highlighting the need for occupational health considerations in cardiovascular prevention.
Occupational lifting may raise hypertension risk in workers ≥50; leaves causal effects open pending prospective trials.
Background Prevalence of hypertension varies across occupations, maybe due to differences in exposure to occupational lifting. This study investigated associations between occupational lifting and hypertension, stratified by use of anti-hypertensives, leisure time physical activity (LTPA), occupational physical activity (OPA) and age. Methods Data from the Copenhagen General Population Study were included. The Copenhagen General Population Study was approved by the local ethical committee (H-KF-01-144/01), and all participation were conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki. Multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, age, BMI, smoking, school education, mental stress and baseline blood pressure (BP), were applied to estimate: the (i) cross-sectional association (n=67,363) between occupational lifting and hypertension (using anti-hypertensives or BP ≥140/≥90 mmHg), (ii) prospective association (n=7,020) between occupational lifting and risk of an above median change in systolic BP (baseline to follow-up) and/or a shift from no use to use of anti-hypertensives, among the included population and stratified by use of anti-hypertensives, LTPA, OPA and age. Results Cross-sectionally, heavy occupational lifting lowered hypertension risk. Mean baseline BP, showed that the higher the level of LTPA the lower mean BP across all levels of OPA were, but only among those not using anti-hypertensives. The prospective analysis showed occupational lifting to increase the risk of hypertension, among workers aged ≥ 50 years, or reporting light to moderate LTPA. Conclusions This study finds positive associations between occupational lifting and risk for hypertension among workers aged ≥ 50 years. Further research on the association between occupational lifting and precursors of cardiovascular disease are needed before recommendations for occupational lifting and cardiovascular health can be established.
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Korshøj et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in Hypertension (n=67,363). Heavy occupational lifting vs. No heavy occupational lifting was evaluated on Prevalence of hypertension (cross-sectional) (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.93-1.00). Heavy occupational lifting was cross-sectionally associated with a 3% lower odds of hypertension (OR 0.97), though prospective data suggested a potential increased risk among workers aged 50 years and older.
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