Study: Overtime could be harmful to workers' health
A continuing study by University College London has found that those who typically clock in employee attendance of 11 hours or longer are more than two-thirds more likely to develop heart disease compared to those who worked seven- to eight-hour days.
The Whitehall II study has tracked the health of more than 7,000 workers between the ages of 39 and 64 over an 11-year period, all of whom were free of heart disease and angina when they signed up. Researchers gathered information about the participants' heart risk factors, such as age, smoking habits, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as how many hours they typically worked.
"We have shown that working long days is associated with a remarkable increase in risk of heart disease," said study leader Mika Kivimaki, of the university's epidemiology and public health department. "Considering that including a measurement of working hours in a [physician] interview is so simple ... our research presents a strong case that it should become standard practice."
Potential overtime-related causes of cardiovascular health problems include chronic stress, depression, lack of sleep and less time to exercise.
The Whitehall II study has tracked the health of more than 7,000 workers between the ages of 39 and 64 over an 11-year period, all of whom were free of heart disease and angina when they signed up. Researchers gathered information about the participants' heart risk factors, such as age, smoking habits, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as how many hours they typically worked.
"We have shown that working long days is associated with a remarkable increase in risk of heart disease," said study leader Mika Kivimaki, of the university's epidemiology and public health department. "Considering that including a measurement of working hours in a [physician] interview is so simple ... our research presents a strong case that it should become standard practice."
Potential overtime-related causes of cardiovascular health problems include chronic stress, depression, lack of sleep and less time to exercise.
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