Workaholism Can Kill

A new study has found a direct correlation between the number of hours one keeps in office and the impact it has on one’s health. Those who keep late hours in office, the study finds, are at an increased risk of suffering a stroke.

For the research, published in Lancet, the researchers pored over 25 studies carried out across the three continents of Europe, America and Australia. The studies involved more than 600,000 individuals and they were followed by the researchers for an average of 8.5 years.

The researchers found that those who put in more than 55 hours a week have a 33 per cent increased risk of a stroke compared to those who work for around 35 to 40 hours. Those who put in more than 55 hours per week also have a 13 per cent increased risk of coronary heart disease. Individuals who spent between 41 and 48 hours every week had a 10 per cent higher risk of stroke, and those working 49 to 54 hours had a 27 per cent increased risk. The risk remained the same even after controlling for demographic factors—like age, sex and socio-economic status—and taking into account health behaviour—like smoking, alcohol consumption and lack of physical activity.

While the researchers claim that their research only points to a link between strokes and long work hours, and that they cannot for certain say that long work hours leads to a higher risk of strokes, this study covering a vast cross-section of people shows perhaps the clearest connection so far between excessive work and health.

They also note that working long hours tends to be correlated with other risky health behaviour like drinking large amounts of alcohol or sitting for hours at a time. Those habits, when combined with the stress associated with working overtime, could increase the chance of having a stroke or cardiovascular strain, they claim. The researchers write in the journal: ‘In conclusion, our meta-analysis shows that employees who work long hours have a higher risk of stroke than those working standard hours… Our findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the management of vascular risk factors in individuals who work long hours.’

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