Working long hours? Watch out for your heart

LONDON: People who regularly work long hours can greatly increase their risk of developing heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide, British scientists said.

The researchers said a long-term study showed that working over 11 hours per day increased the risk of heart disease by 67 percent, compared to work a standard 7 to 8 hours per day.

They said the results suggest that information on hours of work - used alongside other factors such as blood pressure, diabetes and smoking - could help doctors work on a patient's risk of heart disease .

However, they also said it was not yet clear whether long work hours themselves contribute to the risk of heart disease, or if they act as a "marker" of other factors that may affect the health of heart - such as unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and depression.

"This study might make us think twice about" hard work will not kill you "the old adage," said Stephen Holgate, Chairman of the Board and the public medical system in the Medical Research Council of Great Britain, is partly funded the study.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine Journal, followed almost 7,100 British workers for 11 years.

"Days of work long associated with a remarkable increase in risk of heart disease," said Mika Kivimaki of London University College, Great Britain, who led the research. He said he may be a "wake-up call for people who overwork themselves."

"Whereas, including a measure of working time in an interview (doctor) is so simple and useful, our research presents a strong case that it should become standard practice," he said.

Cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and stroke are the world's deadliest, killing nearly 17.1 million lives a year, according to World Health Organization (WHO). Billions of dollars are spent annually on medical devices and drugs to treat them.

The results of this study support previous research showing a link between work hours and heart disease. (Reuters)