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Involuntary job loss as a risk factor for subsequent myocardial infarction and stroke: Findings from The Health and Retirement Survey
Author(s) -
Gallo William T.,
Bradley Elizabeth H.,
Falba Tracy A.,
Dubin Joel A.,
Cramer Laura D.,
Bogardus Sidney T.,
Kasl Stanislav V.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20004
Subject(s) - medicine , job loss , stroke (engine) , risk factor , myocardial infarction , health and retirement study , gerontology , physical therapy , psychiatry , unemployment , mechanical engineering , engineering , economics , economic growth
Background The role of stress in the development of cardiovascular disease is well established. Previous research has demonstrated that involuntary job loss in the years immediately preceding retirement can be a stressful life event shown to produce adverse changes in physical and affective health. The objective of this study was to estimate the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke associated with involuntary job loss among workers nearing retirement in the United States. Methods We used multivariable survival analysis to analyze data from the first four waves of the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS), a nationally representative sample of older individuals in the US. The analytic sample includes 457 workers who experienced job loss and a comparison group of 3,763 employed individuals. Results The results indicate that involuntary job loss is not associated with subsequent risk of MI (adjusted HR = 1.89; 95% CI = 0.91, 3.93); the risk of subsequent stroke associated with involuntary job loss is more than double (adjusted HR = 2.64; 95% CI = 1.01, 6.94). Conclusions Our findings present new data to suggest that involuntary job loss should be considered as a plausible risk factor for subsequent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular illness among older workers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:408–416, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.