The impact of unemployment on heart rate variability: The evidence from the Czech Republic

We examined the relationship between unemployment and heart rate variability (HRV) in a region of high unemployment in the Czech Republic. The study involved 21 involuntarily unemployed and 21 employed men and women aged 30–49 years, matched on number of potentially confounding factors, including age, gender, type of job, health related behavior and body mass index. HRV was assessed in response to a modified orthostatic test. Compared with the employed group, unemployed participants had decreased high frequency HRV (p = 0.018), lower root mean square of successive differences (p = 0.050), and lower total spectral variability (p = 0.022). These findings suggest that unemployment is a potential chronic stressor that may lead to suppression of vagal activity. This may be one mechanism linking unemployment with cardiovascular disease risk.

► Unemployment is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
► We compared heart rate variability (HRV) in matched unemployed and employed people.
► Unemployment was associated with reduced HRV in the frequency and time domains.
► Effects were independent of psychosocial and behavioral factors that influence HRV.
► Reduced HRV could be a process linking unemployment with cardiovascular disease risk.