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Physically Active Jobs Not Good For Heart

Leisure-Time Exercise Reduces Risk

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, 3:12 p.m. EST March 8, 2001 -- A new study shows that people with physically demanding jobs may be hurting their hearts.

Study Findings
  • The study used ultrasound tests to measure the thickness of workers' carotid arteries, an indicator of heart disease.
  • Those workers in the top 20 percent of on-the-job physical activity showed the greatest increase in artery thickness -- 13 micrometers a year.
  • Those who reported the least amount of on-the-job exercise showed thickening of about 7 micrometers per year.
  • Those who exercised at least four times a week during leisure hours showed the least amount of artery thickening.
    • Recommendations
  • Work out regularly. People who attend the gym on a regular basis are less likely to experience exercise-related cardiovascular complications.
  • Have a physical examination and an exercise stress test before beginning a vigorous routine.
    • Additional Information
    websiteAmerican Heart Association
    websiteLearn more about heart attacks.
    websiteHeart-healthy recipes
    Sister site TheBostonChannel reports that the study from the American Heart Association states that on-the-job exercise may not be beneficial to the heart, like regular exercise is.

    Researchers at the University of Southern California followed more than 400 utility workers for three years. They found that those with the most physically strenuous jobs also had the most plaque buildup in their arteries, while those with the least job activity had less chance of developing heart disease.

    The study researchers believe that even when work becomes physical, stressful situations can arise, and that stress can counter the benefits of the activity.

    "People with jobs that are very demanding, either physically or challenging but in which the individual has low control over the work flow, tend to be at higher risk of coronary artery disease," Dr. Murray Mittleman of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said.

    Those who do physical labor also have the added stress of safety concerns, and they're more likely to eat poorly and more likely to smoke.

    The good news is that those workers who exercised four times a week, in addition to their work schedule, had the lowest risk of heart trouble.

    "Exercise can really play a role in improving your weight and your blood pressure and your cholesterol and your blood sugar," Dr. William Castelli of Framingham Heart Institute said. "It's a great protector, if you do it right."

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