Hidden Threat at the Office – Discrimination Can Lead to Serious Heart Health Issues

A recent study suggests that adults in the U.S. who experience high levels of workplace discrimination are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who face less discrimination. This revelation underscores the urgent need for interventions by employers and the government, as well as robust anti-discrimination policies, to effectively tackle and eradicate discrimination in the workplace.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, discovered that discrimination at work can adversely affect heart health, potentially leading to serious consequences.

The research reveals that American adults who felt victimized by workplace discrimination were more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who encountered less discrimination at their jobs.

High blood pressure is a critical risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., affecting nearly half of the adult population, according to the 2023 statistics from the American Heart Association. The study’s authors highlight the increasing concern over the health effects of systemic racism and discrimination on cardiovascular diseases and other health conditions.

Lead study author Jian Li, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of work and health at the University of California, Los Angeles, commented, “While we’ve explored the associations between systemic racism, discrimination, and health outcomes, very few studies have delved into the health impact of discrimination in the workplace, where adults spend more than a third of their time. As far as we know, this is the first study showing that workplace discrimination can increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure.”

The study, which defines workplace discrimination as unfair or negative treatment due to personal characteristics such as race, sex, or age, used data from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS). This study monitored 1,246 adults, free of high blood pressure at the onset of the study (2004-2006), for about eight years.

The participants were mainly white, with around half being female. About a third of the participants were in each of these age groups: under 45, 46-55, and 56 and older.

Most participants were non-smokers, reported low to moderate alcohol consumption, and engaged in moderate to high physical exercise.

To evaluate workplace discrimination, the participants answered questions about their experiences at work, including whether they felt unfairly treated or ignored. They also reported on the frequency of racial, ethnic, or sexual jokes at work and whether job promotions were given fairly.

Discrimination scores were assigned based on the participants’ responses and were then divided into three groups: low (6-7), intermediate (8-11), and high (12-30).

The study found that out of the 1,246 participants, 319 developed high blood pressure after approximately eight years. Compared to those with low discrimination scores, participants with intermediate scores were 22% more likely to have high blood pressure, while those with high scores were 54% more likely.

Li suggested that these findings indicate a need to raise awareness about the role of work as a social determinant of health. Additionally, stressful experiences due to discrimination are emerging as a risk factor for high blood pressure, apart from the traditional ones.

Potential solutions include organization policies and interventions that, alongside stronger anti-discrimination employer policies, can help improve workers’ coping skills, the researchers suggest.

However, the study has some limitations, such as self-reported high blood pressure, which could be improved by medical examinations in future studies. The measure of workplace discrimination was generic, and future research could focus on specific types of workplace discrimination like racial, sex, or age-based discrimination.

Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention, emphasized the growing scientific consensus that discrimination significantly increases cardiovascular disease risk, including high bloodpressure. Sanchez, who was not involved in the study, also underlined the association’s commitment to addressing health equity in the workplace and among the workforce.

Sanchez highlighted several initiatives the association has launched to meet these commitments, such as the “Driving Health Equity in the Workplace” report and the “Health Equity in the Workforce” initiative, in collaboration with the Deloitte Health Equity Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation.

The research titled “Workplace Discrimination and Risk of Hypertension: Findings From a Prospective Cohort Study in the United States” by Jian Li, Timothy A. Matthews, Thomas Clausen, and Reiner Rugulies was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on April 26, 2023.

The study received funding from the Targeted Research Training Program of the Southern California National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Workplace Discrimination

More about Workplace Discrimination

• Journal of the American Heart Association
• American Heart Association Statistics
• Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS)
• American Heart Association CEO Roundtable report
• Health Equity in the Workforce initiative
• Southern California National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center