Monday, May 17, 2010

Working overtime is bad for your heart

According to a study of 6000 British civil servants published online in the European Heart Journal, people who regularly work overtime have higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who do not.

The study involved over 6000 men and women aged between 39 and 61 who did not have heart disease and worked full time at the start of the study. Researchers found those who worked 3 to 4 hours of overtime a day had 60% higher risk of developing heart disease, overtime work was also associated with lower HDL cholesterol ( good cholesterol).

Experts said the study highlights the importance of work-life balance but note that the link was only found in association with 3-4 hours oertime a day. The lead researcher said more research is needed.

Source: Overtime work and incident coronary heart disease: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study. Eur Heart J (2010). First published online: May 11, 2010 ( f/t via Athens)


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