‘Heart risk for unfit men who work long hours risk’

UNFIT men who work long hours double their risk of dying from heart disease, researchers warned today.

Those who do not take enough exercise and work more than 45 hours a week are more than twice as likely to die from heart disease as unfit men who work shorter hours.

However, exercise seems to be the key to healthiness – with fit men who work long hours having no increased risk of dying from heart disease.

The study, published in the journal Heart, examined data for almost 5,000 men aged 40 to 59. The group was drawn from 14 different companies and health and fitness levels were tracked over a 30-year period.

The men completed cycling exercise tests to assess their fitness and provided details on the average number of hours they worked every week.

Experts found that men who were unfit were at the greatest risk of dying from heart disease, particularly if they worked long hours.

Meanwhile another study has found men are more likely than women to suffer problems with memory and thinking as they age.

Rates of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were found to be 1.5 times higher in men than in women.

MCI involves a level of mental decline beyond that which can be explained by normal ageing. It is often associated with Alzheimer’s disease later in life.