... and why going on holiday can help the middle-aged live longer

GOING on holiday could extend your life – because working too hard in middle-age can be deadly.

Researchers tracked 1,200 businessmen for 30 years and found those who took less than three weeks off a year were 37 per cent more likely to die young.

The doctors, from Helsinki University in Finland, said their findings highlight the danger of stress on the heart.

They found that men who were ordered to exercise or eat healthily saw their health deteriorate because it raised their anxiety levels. But this damaging impact was reversed if they took a holiday.

The doctors, presenting their findings at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Munich, said GPs should encourage more of us to take a break at the same time as giving out heart drugs or lifestyle advice.

Lead researcher Professor Timo Strandberg said: ‘Don’t think having an otherwise healthy lifestyle will compensate for working too hard and not taking holidays.

‘Vacations can be a good way to relieve stress.’ The study began in 1974 and involved more than 1,200 middle-aged businessmen.

The team were surprised to find those given lifestyle advice and drugs were more likely to die young than those left to their own devices. Professor Strandberg said: ‘Men with shorter vacations worked more and slept less than those who took longer vacations.

‘This stressful lifestyle may have overruled any benefit of the intervention. We think the intervention itself may also have had an adverse psychological effect on these men by adding stress to their lives.’ He added: ‘Drug treatment yes, but you must always keep lifestyle advice. The most important intervention to lengthen life is social.’

Professor Strandberg joked that he had a vested interest in the findings because he took five weeks off last year. Professor Joep Perk, spokesman for the European Society of Cardiology, said people need to relax and enjoy their life. He said: ‘Patients... when they have a heart attack, they suddenly become fanatic about their lifestyle. There is a lot of stress, they run around.

‘I sometimes wonder whether is this healthy, and this study shows the enormous stress of changing lifestyle may have a bad effect on some people.

‘Asking 95-year-olds what was the reason they reached 95, almost always the response I get was “I enjoyed life, I had a nice time”. ‘It’s not about chasing risk factors. Don’t forget to enjoy life, you only have one.’

Professor Martin Marshall, vice chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘Rest and relaxation can definitely be beneficial. However, whilst GPs and our teams often recommend that patients take some time away from work, or go on holiday if they are stressed, we must also be mindful that this is easier said than done for many patients, who perhaps can’t afford holidays, or simply find it difficult to get time off work.’