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Could Your Commute Kill You? New Study Examines The Health Effects

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Many people working in the city have a common headache -- a long commute.

Now a first-of-its-kind study finds that might be taking a deadly toll on our bodies.

1010 WINS' Al Jones Speaks With Commuters

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The study by Washington University in St. Louis found the commutes take people away from exercise and lead to conditions that are strong predictors of diabetes, obesity and some cancers.

LINK: Read More About The Study Here (PDF)

The researchers found people who live more than 10 miles from their work are more likely to have high blood pressure than people with shorter commutes.

People who commute more than 15 miles each way are much more likely to be obese, perhaps because people who commute that distance don't get enough daily activity, the study found.

"I definitely see how it could wear you down, especially at an older age. It's very frustrating, you sit in traffic, especially in the early hours of the morning it could be very tedious," one man told 1010 WINS' Al Jones.

Even long commuters who found ways to get enough exercise were more likely to have high blood pressure than people with shorter commutes who get the same amount of exercise.

The study was published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

The latest research comes after a 2011 study by Swedish researchers found that people who had long commutes to work were more likely to divorce, experience neck pain and loneliness.

Is your commute affecting your health?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below...

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