Cardiovascular risk as a paradigm of the negative consequences of stress at work: A large amount of data and huge problems

The relation between stress and coronary diseases is controversial. Both positive and null or negative results are equally obtained. An explanation of this can be that the most widely used stress questionnaires are not able to collect all the factors that constitute stress perception. Indeed, from a clinical and experimental perspective, the stress/coronary diseases relation is evident. More consistent results are obtained between coronary diseases and socio-economic status. In order to cover all the social factors and describe them better, a new, purely theoretical contribution is then introduced: social capital. This is a more sophisticated version of social cohesion, social integration and social support. Finally, for the future, the interdisciplinary method is recommended for health surveillance in the workplace.