Table 1 Key parameter explanations
Coronary microvascular function | Coronary microvascular function refers to the health of the small blood vessels in the heart that supply blood to the heart muscle. To assess this, doctors use imaging of the heart together with for example application of adenosine, a pharmacological substance to dilate the blood vessels, or the cold pressor test (see below). These tests can be used to assess how well the heart’s small blood vessels respond to stress and ensure proper blood flow to the heart muscle (i.e., myocardial blood flow, abbreviated as MBF), which provides information about cardiovascular health |
Coronary flow reserve | An index of how well the coronary arteries and small blood vessels can adjust and increase blood flow during stress compared to the resting blood flow. It is calculated by dividing the peak stress MBF by the resting MBF. A higher ratio is generally considered beneficial since it indicates that the tiny heart vessels can dilate and allow more blood to flow to the heart muscle when needed |
Myocardial blood flow response | The change (Δ sign for change) from MBF at rest to the peak stress MBF response. ΔMBF is calculated by subtracting resting MBF from the peak stress MBF response |
Hyperemic myocardial blood flow | The peak volume of blood that the heart muscle can receive during the maximum stress-induced dilation of tiny heart vessels |
Cold pressor test | In the cold pressor test, a part of the body (e.g., the arm or foot) is immersed in ice-cold water for a few minutes to see how the cardiovascular system reacts to the stress of the cold, which activates the sympathetic nervous system |
Occupational burnout | Occupational burnout is a condition characterized by extreme fatigue, mental distance from work, and a sense of diminished achievement or productivity on the job. This state makes individuals feel both physically and mentally exhausted while experiencing a decline in job satisfaction and accomplishment |
Effort-reward ratio | This measure for job stress compares the effort a person puts into their work (e.g., intensity and time spent on tasks) with the reward they receive for it (e.g., recognition, salary). A higher ratio indicates more stress in the workplace and is used in occupational health research to assess the impact of job stress on mental and physical health |
Overcommitment | A pattern of behavior in which people tend to exceed their available resources by taking on more work or responsibility at work than they can effectively manage. This leads to increased job stress and potentially negative health consequences |