London, April 05: People who work more than 11 hours a day are significantly at a higher risk of developing heart disease in comparison to those working standard hours.
A long term study of about 7,100 British workers showed scientists that those who work more than 11 hours a day are 67 percent at a higher risk of heart diseases compared to people working a standard seven or eight hours daily.
The 11 years follow up also revealed that just an hour of decrease in daily work time has a notable effect. According to the findings published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, people who worked an average of 10 hours per day had a 45 percent higher risk of heart disease than people following standards.
However, it was not clear whether long working hours themselves contribute to heart disease risk, or if whether they simply act as a “marker” of lifestyle choices that harm heart health, such as poor diet, less exercise and depression.
“Working long days is associated with a remarkable increase in risk of heart disease,” said lead author Mika Kivimaki of Britain’s University College London. It may be a “wake-up call for people who overwork themselves.”
However, the researchers said that because several factors are involved in increasing heart disease risk, people who work hard should not necessarily become concerned and anxious about their heart health.
“Current evidence on (heart disease) prevention emphasizes the importance of focusing on the total risk, rather than single risk factors,” Kivimaki noted.
“People who work long hours should be particularly careful in following healthy diets, exercising sufficiently and keeping their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood (sugar) within healthy limits,” he added.
——–Agencies