Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases  and is responsible for 14% of all annual deaths globally . The prevalence of hypertension varies across occupational groups, possibly affected by differences in the working environment. One work-related factor that might impose a risk for hypertension is lifting . Heavy lifting causes acute large increases in blood pressure (BP) . These increases in BP during heavy lifting are explained by the constriction of the vessels due to contraction of muscle fibers surrounding the vessels as well as the pressor reflex, both leading to an increased peripheral resistance and thereby also an increased BP . Thus, because some workers perform occupational lifting for several hours per day, many days per week, higher BP or hypertension is likely to occur . Yet, scientific knowledge of the relation between heavy occupational lifting and hypertension is limited. Previous studies investigating this relation have found occupational lifting to increase risks for myocardial infarction  and ischemic heart disease  in population studies including both sexes and workers from white- and blue-collar occupations. However, one study, only including males from blue-collar occupations did not find increased risk for ischemic heart disease from occupational lifting . As the study by Petersen and colleagues  found the risks from lifting to be most pronounced among workers with low occupational physical activity (OPA) but high exposure to lifting, it seems that investigations of associations between occupational lifting and risk for hypertension benefit from populations including both sexes and a variety of occupations.