压力大 血压高

Ever feel like you are working in a pressure cooker? Scientists find this week that job stress and strain can indeed make your heart work overtime¹. A medical survey of 8, 000 white-collar workers finds that workers who say they feel stressed and who do not have social support at work have higher blood pressure levels than those who don't have job related strain.

On average stressed workers had systolic levels, that's the top number, about 2 points higher than non-stressed workers. And overall, men were more likely to show a job-blood pressure link than women. Although 2 points may seem relatively² small, this is the same rise in blood pressure that comes with age or lack of exercise. And even small elevations³ can make a difference.

Optimal⁴ systolic pressure should be under 120. Levels up to 139 are still within the normal range. But it's likely your doctor will consider treatment or lifestyle changes if it's consistently over 130.

High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke in the United States. The researchers say that reducing job strain could have significant effects.

With the Medical Minute, I'm Jichi Stone from ABC news.

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pressure cooker:informal a difficult situation in which people have to work very hard or experience a lot of strong emotions 困难的局面
elevation:an increase in the level of something 小幅增长
systolic pressure:the pressure of blood inside arteries⁵ when the heart contracts. In a blood pressure reading, this is the top number. 心脏收缩时的血压

1 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

2 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

3 elevations   

（水平或数量）提高( elevation的名词复数 )； 高地； 海拔； 提升

参考例句：

• Weight of the crust changes as elevations are eroded and materials are deposited elsewhere. 当高地受到侵蚀，物质沉积到别的地方时，地壳的重量就改变。
• All deck elevations are on the top of structural beams. 所有甲板标高线均指结构梁顶线。

4 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

5 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》