You
job and career can influence your level of risk for heart disease and stroke,
according to a new study.
Middle-aged
people who work in food service, office jobs, or sales jobs have more risk
factors for heart disease than people in managerial or professional jobs.
Firefighters,
police, health care support workers, and truckers are all more likely to have these
markers, the researchers said.
Individuals
who are older than 45 and who are in office or sales jobs are more likely to
eat an unhealthy diet, smoke, be sedentary, and struggle with high blood
pressure.
People
in food service tended to have the worst diets, while truckers tended to have
the highest smoking rates.
People
employed under the "service" umbrella were much less likely to have
ideal cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as a lower incidence of healthy
BMI.
This
heart risk profile is poor, and it was especially pronounced and frequent among
protective service workers, which encompasses police, firefighters, and
security guards.
To
draw these conclusions, the researchers examined health data for more than
5,500 women and men over age 45 to assess heart health. They based the
assessment on the American Heart Association's "Life's Simple 7,"
which include diet, BMI, smoking, physical activity, blood sugar, and
cholesterol.
More
than 88 percent of employees over the age of 45 did not smoke, and 78 percent
of employees we healthy blood sugar levels. However, less than 41 percent had
ideal heart health in the remaining five areas.
More
than 20 percent of the transportation workers smoked; this was the highest rate
among occupation groups in the study.
Two-thirds
of sales and office workers had poor cholesterol levels and eating habits, and
80 percent were sedentary. Ninety percent of security guards, firefighters, and
police were overweight or obese, and seventy five percent had poor blood
pressure and cholesterol levels.
Researchers
found generally poor cardiovascular health in lower-paying jobs, compared to
high-paying jobs.
The
nature of the job can create challenges to being healthy. For example, people
with desk jobs tend to have trouble getting enough active time.
To
combat these challenges on the job, try taking a walk after lunch each day,
meal prep your food for the week, or look into a stand-up desk.