Cardiovascular Responses to Occupational Physical Activity Are Exaggerated by Work-Related Stress and Low Fitness.

Objectives: Paradoxical associations between high occupational physical activity (OPA) and cardiovascular disease may be explained by exaggerated cardiovascular responses from high work-related stress or low worker fitness.

Methods: OPA, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and rate-pressure product (RPP; HR × BP) were measured objectively for 24 hours in 19 male workers. Work-related stress was measured using the Stress in General Scale.