LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Researchers studying morning commutes and their affects on health have found that people who travel more than 10 miles to work were more likely to have high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Add more to that commute, and your risk only goes up.

These days commutes are getting longer according to figures from the US Census Bureau and researchers wanted to see if those longer commutes had any ill effects on health. 

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis Missouri, studied almost 4,300 commuters and found a correlation between the distance travelled in commutes and poorer health. 

Christine Hoehner, the study's lead researcher said, "The main finding is that the study was the first to show that long commutes can take away from exercise and are associated with higher weight, lower fitness levels and higher blood pressure, and all of these are strong predictors of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers."

She added, "It really looked specifically and with objective outcomes at how long commuting really affects health."

The study evaluated commuters and their drives in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin areas and the surrounding counties. An estimated 90 percent of the people in that region commute by car. The average commute of the person studies was 12 miles. 

In addition to the length of the commutes, they also looked at the heart and lung health of the subjects as well as their body mass index. 

The study showed that 10 miles appeared to be a threshold after which the potential unhealthful correlation became obvious. For those who drove more than 15 miles, obesity became an additional risk factor. 

The researchers speculate the time spent on the commute trades off with exercise.

Hoehner suggests you exercise during your work break. "For folks that live a long way from work they need to find ways to build physical activity into their day," she said. "Driving to work has become a part of American life. There is no reason why taking walks during work breaks can't become a part of American life too."

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