A new study indicates physical fitness protects men who put in long work hours from the heart disease that is associated with putting in overtime.
Unfit men who worked 41 to 45 hours a week were 59% more likely to die from heart disease than men working fewer hours, according to a study published in the medical journal Heart. Their fit counterparts were 45% less apt to die of heart disease and 38% less likely to die of other causes than unfit colleagues, according to the study.
Epidemiologists have long known that putting in extended hours adds to the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. The study, led by Andreas Holtermann of the National Research Centre for the Working Environment in Copenhagen, is the first to demonstrate that fitness can offer protection from some of these detrimental effects. (WCxKit)
The researchers studied approximately 5,000 healthy men enrolled in a long-term epidemiological project called the Copenhagen Male Study. The scientists used bicycle ergometers to test participants’ fitness levels and questionnaires to come up with their work hours and activity levels.
Even moderate fitness lessened the risk of dying from heart disease compared with men who were unfit and worked long hours. Men who were both unfit and worked more than 45 hours a week demonstrated the worst outcomes: they were more than twice as likely to succumb to heart disease as men working under 40 hours.
The most active men were either engaged in heavy physical work like digging and shoveling, or were active athletes who ran, played tennis or badminton for at least 3 hours a week, according to the study.
Working longer hours puts more pressure on the cardiovascular system because it ratchets up the nervous system, increasing both heart rate and blood pressure. A high level of fitness decreases recovery time and physiological stress during a specific task. (WCxKit)
The study is limited by the fact that the men indicated both their activity levels and work hours, making the reports susceptible to errors, and by the fact that it only includes Caucasian men, according to the researchers.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing.
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