Quick, let your boss and colleagues know about this before it’s too late! According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, people who work three hours or more of overtime per day run a 60-percent higher risk of bad heart problems compared to those who work regular hours.
The findings came from a long-term research project into 6,014 British civil servants aged 39-61, two-thirds of whom were men, who had healthy hearts at the start of the probe in the early 1990s. After 11 years, 369 of the volunteers had either died of coronary heart disease (CHD) or had a non-fatal heart attack.
Researchers say the link between cardiac problems and overtime seems clear but the cause is less so, given the complexities of heart disease and relationships in the workplace. For instance, working overtime could affect metabolism or mask depression, anxiety and sleeplessness. There is also a phenomenon called “sickness presenteeism”, whereby employees who work overtime are likelier to work while ill, ignore symptoms and not seek medical health. However, there are also people who like their job and have greater latitude in work decisions tend to work longer hours just for the pleasure, and may have a lower rate of CHD.
Have you been working long hours and how has affected your health? Stay at home mums, we know yours is a full time job too, so do share with us too!