Why your job might be killing you (literally)

These Jobs Can Have a Big Impact on Heart Health

If you want to live to a ripe old age, you might want to re-think your lifestyle – and your job.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in America has analysed the health and lifestyle habits of various professions, to see how likely people in different jobs are to have a heart attack or stroke in future.

Looking at things like blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose level, body mass index, smoking, physical activity, and diet, researchers are able to say which professions are most likely to die young.

If you're an office-worker, you might want to re-think your career path now. More than 80% of office workers were found to be seriously lacking when it came to physical exercise.

Studies show that sitting for more than eight hours a day is associated with a 90% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a 147% increased relative risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Worryingly, going to the gym after work isn't enough to counteract the effects of prolonged sitting. If using a standing desk isn't an option, try setting the timer on your phone to go off every 30 to 60 minutes during the day. When the alarm rings, stretch and move around.

The least healthy group were police, firefighters and security guards. A staggering 90% were likely to be overweight, 77% had "concerning" cholesterol levels and 35% had high blood pressure.

It's not just lack of exercise that's a problem. Nearly 70% of sales employees were found to have worrying cholesterol levels, which are mainly affected by poor diet choices. And perhaps unsurprisingly, 79% of food preparation and serving employees had a poor diet, the worst of any group.

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