For many Americans weekends simply mean more time to get stuff done around the house. We see time off from work as a way to accomplish other tasks in our lives, and not as a means to relax. This is part cultural, because we live in a go faster, do more world and also due to our own anxieties over needing to fill the time. We may need to change our thinking. According to a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine this May we may be digging ourselves an early grave by working on the weekends.
The study wanted to dermine the effect of rest and relaxation, and more specifically the perception that one was able to destress from the work week, had on the incidence of heart disease and stroke. More than 800 men and women were enrolled in the study and followed for 28 years from 1973-2001.
The particpants were asked about their weekend activities and if they felt destressed by Monday. They aslo were questioned about other risk factors for heart disease including family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and depression.
What they found was shocking. Individuals who stated they seldom recovered over the weekend had more than 3 times the risk of death from heart disease or stroke when compared to those who reported almost always recovering from their work week.
These results were significant even after adjusting for other risk factors including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The authors state that those who cannot recover from the previous week may be suffering from hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis.
It is hard to determine from this study which preceeds which. Does underlying, unrecognized heart disease make one more fatigued and unable to recover from work stress, or does work stress increase heart disease risk? Hormones such as cortisol, which are excreted in response to stress may play an integral role in the relationship.
High stress lifestyles can increase the likelihood that one will develop chronic disease. Allowing time off from work on the weekends and taking regular vacations can literally save your life. More Americans need to heed this advice and take off with the family to decompress from their busy lifestyle.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on June 23, 2006 02:24 PM
