Psychosocial factors and cardiovascolar diseases: the neuroendocrine pathways

Exposure to work stress is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, but the pathophysiological events underlying this relationship are still unclear. This paper reviews the progress made to identify the biomarkers of the two neuroendocrine pathways (the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and the sympathetic adrenal axis) underlying the relationship between work stress and health and what efforts can be taken to realize the full promise of these biomarkers. The main findings of this review suggest that there is not a clear relationship between psychosocial factors and biomarkers of the sympatho-adrenal and HPA axis activation. The missing or poor covariance of perceived workstress and neuroendocrine biomarkers is not surprising, given the complex interplay of neurobiological events linking perceived stress to adverse health effects.