Working more than a 40-hour week has long been linked to stress, dissatisfaction and compromised health, but now new research on over 8,000 Korean adults finds that it may also increase the risk of workers developing coronary heart disease. The increased stress is thought to cause a narrowing of the blood vessels that then restricts the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart.
Dr Yun-Chul Hong, senior author of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine study said, “The longer hours employees worked, the higher their chances of developing coronary heart disease within 10 years, with those working 61 to 70 hours having a 42% increased likelihood of developing the disease, those working 71 to 80 hours having a 63% increased likelihood, and those working more than 80 hours having a 94% increased likelihood.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
