Long Hours Add up to High Blood Pressure

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Feeling a

Bit Stressed?

It all adds up. Need a new car? Overtime. Braces for that precious smile that melts your heart and shrinks your wallet? Maybe a second job will do the trick. After all, when the going gets tough...

A study conducted at the University of California Irvine, and reported online in Hypertension, concludes working long hours may get you more than your coveted stuff. It may also get you high blood pressure or, in the most extreme cases, what is known in Japan as Karoshi: sudden death from overwork. Ah… suddenly skipping out early to pursue public humiliation at the Karaoke bar seems almost sensible.

It's a modern day cautionary tale. Those who log more than 51 hours per week are 29% more likely to suffer from hypertension than those who merely dabble at their trade, working 39 hours per week or less. To top it off, the United States is virtually alone among developed countries in having no legislation limiting weekly work hours.

What's to be done?

First, simplify. While you can't pull out the pliers, pry off the hardware and head to the orthodontist for a refund, you can take inventory. Do you really need three tiers of premium cable channels? Would it be uncivil to shun the local eatery, pull out the quick start guide to your range for a refresher and eat in tonight? Could you possibly live without the extra...

You get the idea.

Strive for a little balance in life.

To learn more, see this at The American Heart Association.