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Study: Unfit Middle-Aged Workaholics, Beware!

"The biological explanation for the detrimental effect of long working hours on heart health is that work, irrespective of whether it is physically demanding or not, boosts activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn increases heart rate and blood pressure, say the authors.

But a high level of physical fitness reduces the physiological stressors and speeds up the recovery time, and workers are less tired and irritable and sleep better, say the authors."

My question: How about the corollary? Maybe, if you're going to be a couch potato at home, you should just make sure to be a slug at work as well?

This program aired on September 7, 2010. The audio for this program is not available.

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Carey Goldberg Editor, CommonHealth
Carey Goldberg is the editor of WBUR's CommonHealth section.

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