Golden Opportunities

If you think frustration on the job or with your family is making your blood boil, you might actually be right. A recent survey has linked work with high blood pressure. Today I’ll put the pressure to deliver us cutting edge blood pressure information from Dr. Emil Hayek, a cardiologist with Akron general Medical Center.

Question: I understand that there's a new study that came out linking high blood pressure to work. Can you explain?

Answer: A new survey of over 24,000 California workers aged 18 to 64 finds that the more hours they worked, the more likely they were to say they had high blood pressure. The study said that compared to people working 11 to 19 hours per week, risk of high blood pressure was 14% greater in those working 40 hours a week, and 17% higher in those working 41 to 50 hours a week.
Other risk factors include being older, smoking, being male, having diabetes, and not exercising.

Question: What are the implications of this study?

Answer: The reasons for the effects of stress on blood pressure is unclear, although there does seem to be a correlation. What’s interesting in this study is that those with clerical jobs showed more correlation with overtime hours and blood pressure than those who had professional jobs, even though they may have more responsibilities on their shoulders. Having less control over employment seemed to have greater stress and hypertension.
Many times, those who work long hours also tend to be overweight, have a poorer diet, smoke, etc. These are also major causes of high blood pressure.
More men in the study exhibited hypertension, yet by the time we reach our 60s, more women have high blood pressure than men.
This study only looked at paid hours, not the hours one spends working at home. Stresses there may also affect one’s blood pressure.

Question: Does this apply to men or women?

Answer: Yes. Applies to both men and women. More to minorities, too.

Question: Long hours also may contribute to diabetes and other ailments?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What should our blood pressure be?

Answer: The cutoff in our national guidelines is 140 over 90, and 130 over 80 for those with kidney disease and diabetes. Most health professionals shoot for 130 over 80 for everyone.
Truly normal blood pressure is 120 over 80. Those with that level or lower have the least risk for cardiovascular disease.

Question: We can't all stop working. What steps can we take to get our blood pressure in control?

Answer: It's really important to try to balance overtime work with a healthy lifestyle. Make a conscious effort to eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-salt diet. Find time to exercise. Don't smoke or take in excess alcohol.
It may be hard for everyone to limit work-sometimes one needs the hours to make ends meet. However, it's interesting to note that the European Union and Japan limit workers to 100 overtime hours each month. America does not, and cardiovascular disease is such an issue here.

Question: What complications can arise if we don't treat high blood pressure?

Answer: Cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer in America, including heart attacks, stroke, and congestive heart failure.
Also kidney disease and eye disease may be caused by high blood pressure.

Working long hours can kill you. So eat right, exercise, and most important, relax. Call Akron General Medical Center for help at the number that's next. My thanks to Dr. Emil Hayek.