The influence of burnout on cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Summary & key facts

This review pooled evidence from 25 studies and a meta-analysis of 9 studies with 26,916 people. It found that people with burnout had higher odds of cardiovascular problems: about 21% higher after statistical adjustment (OR 1.21) and about 27% higher using crude numbers (OR 1.27). Burnout was strongly linked to prehypertension and slightly to hospital visits for heart problems, but links with heart attack or coronary heart disease were not clearly proven. The authors say the evidence is limited and many studies were cross‑sectional, so the results do not prove that burnout causes heart disease.

Key facts:

• The systematic review included 25 studies, and the meta-analysis used 9 studies (4 cross-sectional, 4 cohort, 1 case-control) totaling 26,916 participants.
• Using the most adjusted estimates, burnout was associated with a 21% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.39).
• Using crude (unadjusted) estimates, burnout was associated with a 27% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.43).
• When broken down by outcome, burnout was linked to an 85% higher risk of prehypertension (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.70).
• Burnout was associated with a 10% higher risk of cardiovascular disease–related hospitalization (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.18).
• The associations with coronary heart disease (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 0.79 to 2.79) and myocardial infarction (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.71) were not statistically significant in this analysis.
• The authors noted that many included studies were cross-sectional, which weakens the ability to say burnout causes cardiovascular disease.
• The review found no evidence that the link between burnout and cardiovascular disease was different for men versus women (risk not influenced by gender).

Abstract

Burnout seems to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, despite the few retrieved studies and a causality weakened by cross-sectional studies. However, numerous studies focused on the pathophysiology of cardiovascular risk linked to burnout, which may help to build a preventive strategy in the workplace.

Topics

Cardiac Health and Mental Health Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout Workplace Health and Well-being

Categories

General Health Professions Health Professions Health Sciences

Tags

Burnout Clinical psychology Cohort study Disease Internal medicine Law Medicine MEDLINE Meta-analysis Odds ratio Physical therapy Political science Systematic review