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High-Pressure Jobs And Risk For Heart Disease

KYW Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A high-pressure job can increase your risk for heart disease. Can't make a career switch? A healthy lifestyle may protect your heart from the pressure long hours, a demanding environment, and a lack of control all contribute to job strain. People who feel it have about a four percent greater risk of developing heart disease over a seven-year span than those in less demanding positions.

But healthy choices such as exercising ease the burden. That's according to a new study of more than 100,000 workers in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. For every 1,000 people with a high-stress job, having a healthy lifestyle decreased the number who developed heart disease from 31 to 15—that's a 53-percent lower risk. The researchers studied four lifestyle choices previously linked to a healthy heart: not smoking, engaging in regular physical activity, not drinking heavily and maintaining a healthy weight.

 

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