Association between burnout at work and leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation

This study examined whether burnout at work is associated with leukocyte ad hesiveness/aggregation (LAA), a phenomenon known to be affected by stress. Methods: The LAA levels of 179 employees (68 men and 111 women) of Tel Aviv University were determined when the employees underwent their annual routi ne medical checkup. Blood pressure and toxic chemical exposure were also me asured, and background data were retrieved from medical records,Information on burnout and somatic complaints (known to be a general marker of stress) was collected through a self-report questionnaire. Results: Total burnout and each of its subcomponents, emotional exhaustion, chronic fatigue, and c ognitive weariness. was significantly associated with LAA levels, even afte r controlling for age, sex, and educational level. Burnout and somatic comp laints intercorrelated positively, but somatic complaints were not signific antly associated with LAA levels before or after controlling for the above possible confounders. Conclusions: Burnout was positively associated with L AA levels. This finding is consistent with the growing evidence of the nega tive impact of burnout on physical health. The lack of an association betwe en somatic complaints and LAA levels reinforces the claim that burnout and stress are two different concepts.