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Working overtime impairs heart function--study
by Jaspreet Virk - May 12, 2010 - comments
Long working hours are believed to be one form of stress, thus affecting one’s health.
Are you one of those who have been working overtime to boost your earnings? If so, hold on as the risks of working for long hours may outweigh benefits. Working 10 to 11 hours a day may be good for your wallet but it harms your heart, a new study finds.
As per the new study published in the ‘European Heart Journal,’ people who regularly work overtime increase their risk of developing heart disease or suffering from heart attack by 60 percent.
6000 civil servants in UK studied
For the study, Dr Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London, and colleagues analyzed around 6000 civil servants in the United Kingdom between the years 1991 and 2004.
Each individual was studied for a period of 11 years on an average.
During the study period, a total of 369 people developed a heart disease or had a heart attack.
By the end of the study, researchers found that people who work 10 to 12 hours increase the risk of suffering from heart disease. Those who worked 8 to 10 hours a day were not at risk.
This is not the first study that has pointed out the adverse effect of working overtime. In fact, a lot research has been carried out in past, highlighting the consequences of working overtime.
The ones who worked for long hours were healthier as they were less likely to indulge in smoking or drinking, but due to working overtime, many slept less, and reported stress.
Other adverse effects of working overtime
This is not the first study that has pointed out the adverse effect of working overtime. In fact, a lot research has been carried out in past, highlighting the consequences of working overtime.
Long working hours are believed to be one form of stress, thus affecting one’s health.
A study appeared in the September 2006 issue of the journal ‘Hypertension’ stated that working for long hours increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Also, a study published in the June 2008 ‘Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine,’ stated that employees who work overtime have a great chance of suffering from anxiety and depression.
Another study published in the ‘The Journal of American Epidemiology,’ in February last year stated that long working hours weaken one’s mental abilities, and increase the risk of suffering from dementia.
Explaining the reason behind this, the study stated that people who work overtime do not get enough rest or sleep; they do not eat well, etc, thus adversely affecting brain functions.