Correlation Between High Blood Pressure and Occupation
According to the HealthDay Reporter, long hours at work can lead to higher rates of high blood pressure. Furthermore, those with little control over their jobs had even higher blood pressure. "We found the type of occupation was independently significant," said Dr. Dean Baker, director of the University of California, Irvine's Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. "Clerical workers and unskilled workers had more high blood pressure than those in the professions."
Data used in the study relied upon a database from a 2001 survey of more than 55,000 California households. The data allowed for statistical analysis of the cause of high blood pressure. People working 40 hours a week were 14% more likely to say they had high blood pressure than those working 11 to 19 hours a week. Those working 41 to 50 hours a week had a 17% higher occurrence of high blood pressure. Dean recommends legislation limiting working hours based on these findings. However, the study is not without critics. Dr. David Meyerson, a senior cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University and a spokesman for the American Heart Association, said, "We need more information before this finding can be translated into legislation limiting work hours."
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