Data from: Conflicts at work are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease

Background: Only few authors have analyzed the impact of workplace
conflicts and the resulting stress on the risk of developing
cardiovascular disorders. The goal of this study was to analyze the
association between workplace conflicts and cardiovascular disorders in
patients treated by German general practitioners. Methods: Patients with
an initial documentation of a workplace conflict experience between 2005
and 2014 were identified in 699 general practitioner practices (index
date). We included only those that were between the ages of 18 and 65
years, had a follow-up time of at least 180 days after the index date, and
had not been diagnosed with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction,
coronary heart diseases, or stroke prior to the documentation of the
workplace mobbing. In total, this study consisted of 7,374 patients who
experienced conflicts and 7,374 controls for analysis. The main outcome
measure was the incidence of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and
stroke correlated with workplace conflict experiences. Results: After a
maximum of five years of follow-up, 2.9% of individuals who experienced
workplace conflict were affected by cardiovascular diseases, while only
1.4% were affected in the control group (p-value<0.001). Workplace
conflict was associated with a 1.63-fold increase in the risk of
developing cardiovascular diseases. Finally, the impact of workplace
conflict was higher for myocardial infarction (OR=2.03) than for angina
pectoris (OR=1.79) and stroke (OR=1.56). Conclusions: Overall, we found a
significant association between workplace conflicts and cardiovascular
disorders.