Do you slog into work even when you're sick and stressed out? For your heart's sake, stay home.

Reporting to work sick -- especially if you're not the picture of health to begin with (for example, you're too heavy or you have high blood pressure or diabetes) -- can put a strain on heart health. Here's why you need to curl up in bed and call it a day.

Sick-Day Logic
Top three reasons to call in sick when you're under the weather? One: Extra rest helps you recover. Two: Your coworkers don't want what you have. Three: No deadline, expense report, or presentation is worth upping your risk of a heart attack. A what? That's right. Researchers found that overweight, hypertensive, or otherwise unhealthy people who came to work sick had higher rates of heart attack than their call-it-in peers. Scary stuff. (Read up on some of the more unusual signs of a heart attack.)

It's Just the Sniffles . . .
Researchers aren't sure why working sick ups heart attack risk. It could be that the people who toughed it out were also more likely to ignore (read fail to get treatment for) other signs of health trouble -- like chest pain or trouble breathing. (Is it time for a health screening? Answer these questions and find out.) Or it might be that the stress of working sick does a number on people's health. Whatever the reason, why risk it? Your pillow is calling.

Take Your Vacation Time, Too
Here's why.