Long commutes are fatal: Journeys over 30 miles cause higher blood pressure, stress and heart disease

The stress of commuting can lead to workers dying earlier than their more relaxed colleagues



Commuters take more sick leave and gain more weight over their working lives

People complaining of a killer commute may be closer to the truth than they realise.



Research has found that workers with long commutes of over 30 miles die younger than those who live closer to their work.

Social geographer Erika Sandow from Sweden’s Umeå University presented her worrying findings which showed that travelling workers were likely to suffer higher blood pressure, stress and heart disease.

Health trouble: Unfortunate commuters suffer a range of afflictions including higher blood pressure and weight gain

Commuters also take more sick leave and gain more weight over their working lives.



Sandow's earlier studies also showed the toll that commuting takes on relationships.

Women who travelled for longer grew more likely to face an earlier death as the commute lengthened. But this was only true for women who had a low income or low education.



Sandow thought it might be because women experienced greater stress because they had greater household obligations than the men.