Women with hypertension and highly active jobs face a hugely increased risk of developing ischaemic heart disease, according to a new Danish study.
Researchers said the two factors appeared to interact to create significant extra risk.
The research, based on a study of Danish nurses, found that hypertension combined with high levels of physical activity at work increased the risk of ischaemic heart disease by three times compared with moderate activity at work and having normal blood pressure.
The researchers studied the fate of more than 12,000 female nurses over a 15 year period, using a questionnaire to establish levels of physical activity at work and of blood pressure.
They say the extent of the interaction is highlighted by estimates of the impact of each factor on additional cases of heart disease.
Having hypertension led to about 15 extra cases of heart disease per 10,000 years of life – while high levels of physical activity led to five extra cases.
But when combined, this led to 60 extra cases of heart disease for every 10,000 years.
The findings were reported yesterday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Researcher Karen Allesøe, of the University of Southern Denmark, said: "This implies that there is an additive interaction between hypertension and high physical activity at work. The two risk factors appear to work together, resulting in an even greater incidence of heart disease.
"It means hypertensive women with physically demanding work may be especially at risk of heart disease. To our knowledge, this has not been shown before among women."
She added: "For nurses, physically demanding jobs may involve high force demands during patient handling, or standing and walking all day with no time for breaks.
"Our results may also apply to other occupations that require lifting or carrying heavy loads and standing or walking for many hours, but this needs to be confirmed in other studies."
Are hypertensive women at additional risk of ischaemic heart disease from physically demanding work? European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 15 February 2016; DOI: 10.1177/2047487316631681
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