Take Your Vacation, Your Heart Will Thank You, Researchers Say

BOSTON (CBS) - Don't let your vacation time go to waste. A new study out of Syracuse University provides "medical proof" that vacation is good for your heart.

According to experts, vacation time is available to nearly 80-percent of full-time employees but fewer than half take all the time allotted.

So researchers studied 63 workers eligible for paid vacation and found that people who vacation more frequently in the past 12 months have a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol. In fact, the risk for metabolic syndrome dropped by nearly a quarter with each additional vacation taken by participants.

They're not sure what it is about vacations that is protective but certainly if you have vacation days, use them.