The Wolf Project

The Wolf Project

Selected Abstracts

Risk indicators for myocardial infarction and psycho-social working conditions. Peter Westerholm , Lars Alfredson, Evy Fellenius, Monica Soderholm, Tores Theorell, Ulf de Faire, et al.

This project aims at examining the association between workplace conditions – primarily psychological factors and social conditions – and risk indicators for cardiac infarction, i.e. biochemical variables (blood lipids, fibrinogen etc.) and increased blood pressure (Acronym: WOLF: Work, lipids, fibrinogen). One of the aims of the study is also to examine whether already known risk factors for cardiac infarction such as smoking, food habits, physical exercise etc. have any impact which can be modified by the psychological and social workplace factors. The study is carried out with self administered questionnaires and measurement of blood pressure and analyses of biochemical variables. The target population: 6000 employees in ages 30 to 60 recruited from the Stockholm labour market. The project is carried out in collaboration between the National Institute for Working Life, the Karolinska Institute (Institute of Environmental Medicine), Institute of Psychosocial Factors and Health, Department of Social Medicine Kronan, Sundbyberg and the Medical and Occupational Health Departments of Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm. The field organisation of the project consists of more than 20 occupational health service units.

Financial support: Swedish Council for Work Life Research.

Thanks to Yrkesmedicin for this information:
Department of Occupational Health, Karolinska Hospital
SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
phone +46 8 517 730 56

Job strain and major risk factors for coronary heart disease. Baseline results from the WOLF study. Lars Alfredson, Niklas Hammar, Ulf de Faire, Johan Hallqvist, Tores Theorell, Peter Westerholm

In this study we analyzed the relationship of job strain (high pshychological job demands and low decision latitude) to hypertension, serum lipids and plasma figrinogen. The study population consisted of employed persons 15-64 years of age in Stockholm, Sweden, and the data collection was carried out during 1992-1995. A total of 5696 subjects participated in a medical examinatrion and completed a questionnaire (76% of all invited). No strong associations were seen between job strain and hypertension or plasma fibrinogen, but men reporting high psychological demands had higher fibrinogen levels than other men. Somilar tendencies were seen in women. Men reporting job strain also had more often an adverse LDL/HDL balance than other men, and this association was considerably stronger in subjects aged 15-44 than in older subjects. Our results do not support the hypothesis that low job strain has an adverse impact on hypertension, serum total cholesterol and plasma fibrinogen levels. However, an atherogenic cholesterol profile with low HDL levels and high LDL/HDL ratios for subjects reporting job strain was suggestede, in particular among men.

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