blood pressure (hypertension) is known as “the silent killer”
because symptoms frequently do not surface until the onset
of life-threatening complications, such as kidney failure,
heart failure or stroke. Nearly one in five Americans suffers
from high blood pressure, despite substantial evidence linking
modifiable risk factors (i.e., exercise and diet) with the
Further evidence comes from a Japanese study of 6,017 men
(35-60 years of age) with normal blood pressure (less than
140/90) and without history of high blood pressure. Analysis
of data on work and leisure-time physical activity, length
of walk to work, and other variables (alcohol intake, smoking
habits, etc.) revealed that duration of the daily walk to
work was independently associated with a reduced risk for
Specifically, men whose walk to work lasted 21 minutes or
more had a decreased risk compared with those whose walk lasted
10 minutes or less, and this association was maintained even
after considering age, body mass, alcohol consumption, smoking
status, blood pressure, and frequency of other physical activity.
The authors’ concluding recommendation may be the most important
lesson: “Even persons who drive to work or use public transportation
may benefit from parking or leaving their transportation more
than a 20-minute walk from the office.” Talk to your doctor
about the dangers of high blood pressure and about what you
can do to minimize your risk.
Hayashi T, Tsumura K, Suematsu C, et al. Walking to work
and the risk for hypertension in men: the Osaka Health Survey.
Annals of Internal Medicine 1999: Vol. 130, pp21-26.