Objectives: To evaluate the possible association between pressure pain sensitivity of the chest bone (PPS) and cardiovascular physiological factors related to persistent stress in connection with a three-month PPS-guided stress-reducing experimental intervention programme.
Methods: Forty-two office workers with an elevated PPS (≥ 60 arbitrary units) as a sign of increased level of persistent stress, completed a single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. The active treatment was a PPS (self-measurement)-guided stress management programme. Primary endpoints: Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and work of the heart measured as Pressure-Rate-Product (PRP); Secondary endpoints: Other features of the metabolic syndrome.
Results: PPS decreased and changes in PPS after the intervention period were significantly associated with HR, PRP, body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat index (all correlation coefficients > 0.2, p < 0.05). Compared to the control cluster group, the active cluster group obtained a significant reduction in PPS, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total number of elevated risk factors (p < 0.05). On an individual level, significant and clinically relevant between-group reductions were observed in respect to BP, HR, PRP, total and LDL cholesterol, and total number of elevated risk factors (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The stress intervention method applied in this study induced a decrease in PPS which was associated with a clinically relevant decrease in resting blood pressure, heart rate, work of the heart and serum cholesterols.