According to MSNBC, Researchers in London have discovered that working 11 or more hours a day can increase your risk for heart disease by an astounding 67 percent.
"This study might make us think twice about the old adage 'hard work won't kill you'," said Stephen Holgate, chair of the population and systems medicine board at Britain's Medical Research Council, which part-funded the study.
It is not clear whether the long hours are the direct reason for the risk of heart disease rising. Many believe that the long hours attribute to bad eating habits, smoking, and lack of exercise which in turn lead to the higher risk.
For this study, men and women who worked full time and had no heart disease were selected, giving 7,095 participants. The researchers collected data on heart risk factors like age, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and diabetes and also asked participants how many hours they worked (including work during the day and work brought home) on an average weekday.
During the 11-year study, 192 participants had heart attacks. Those who worked 11 hours or more a day were 67 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those with fewer hours.
I found this article pretty surprising. I am one of those people who work long hours (on the job and off). I can definitely agree that working long hours veers me off of the "healthy and active" path. I end up getting fast food and not working out at all. It's scary to think that these long hours can put me at risk for heart disease! I feel that everyone should get a chance to read this article and think twice about how they live their lives.
