Working when tired increases blood pressure
- Published: 27 June 2008 15:15
- Author: Richard Staines
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- Last Updated: 27 June 2008 15:15
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Fatigued individuals who continue to work hard have higher blood pressure increases than those who are not tired, according to research.
Findings were based on a study of 80 female undergraduates, who received prizes for memorising random three-letter sequences, called trigrams.
Before the memorisation period, subjects were asked to complete a survey including questions about how they felt.
Investigators monitored heart rate and blood pressure increases during the task and found those who were fatigued were more likely to have a higher increase in blood pressure.
Report author, Rex Wright, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said: 'Individuals who experience chronically exaggerated cardiovascular responses are believed to be at greater health risk than individuals who do not. Thus, the implication is that chronic fatigue may pose a health risk under some performance conditions.'
