Long Working Hours Raise Risk of High Blood Pressure

People who work long hours in the office are at greater risk of high blood pressure, a study suggests.

Analysis of a survey of more than 10,000 office workers by the Seoul Medical Center suggests a close correlation between the working environment and high blood pressure.

The average age of the subjects surveyed was 32.7.

Those who worked more than 60 hours a week were 2.14 times more likely to have high blood pressure than those who worked fewer than 52 hours.

That means people who work more than 12 hours a day for a five-day workweek are more than twice as likely to have hypertension as those who work fewer than 10 hours a day.

"Office workers tend to gain weight because they're mostly sedentary, which pushes up blood pressure," said Prof. Shin Joon-han at Ajou University Hospital. "If you're overweight, your blood pressure goes up as fat cells give off a substance that contracts peripheral blood vessels."

"Even if you aren't overweight, your blood pressure can go up because your blood vessels harden if you don't exercise enough," he added.

Regular exercise for at least half an hour a day and a healthy diet are essential for office workers. "They should walk up stairs instead of using the elevator and take a walk after lunch," Shin said.

To lower blood pressure, office workers should stick to a low-salt diet, eat fewer snacks, and consume more vegetables and fruit.