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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Employers who want to keep their workers' hearts healthy should take a lesson from countries where an afternoon siesta is the norm.
A new study shows mid-day napping leads to a 37-percent reduction in the risk of dying from a coronary event.
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The research was conducted among more than 23,000 people in Greece, where naps are part of the culture. Investigators from the University of Athens Medical School teamed up with partners at the Harvard School of Public Health to track the participants over about six years.
None of the people in the study had heart disease at the beginning of the project. By the end of the study, those who reported napping for at least 30 minutes on at least three days of the week were about one-third less likely to have died of a heart attack or other cardiac cause.
The finding was strongest for men who were still working. Those who napped on a regular basis enjoyed a 64-percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, leading researchers to conclude midday naps may help reduce job-related stress -- something previous studies have linked to higher coronary mortality rates.
The take-home message for the public: If you can catch a few Zzz's during the middle of the day, do it.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, published online Feb. 12, 2007
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