The lethal 55-hour work week

Hard work never hurt anybody, but like most extremes in life, too much is hazardous.

According to U.K. research published last week in the Journal Lancet, which analyzed data from 17 studies of more than 528,000 men and women, a work week of 55 hours or more increases stroke risk by 33 percent. It also increases coronary heart disease by 13 percent, according to an epidemiologist at University College in London who analyzed data from 25 studies of 603,000 men and women across Europe, the U.S., and Australia. Earlier studies had also linked overwork with heart attacks, but until now, the link with strokes was not conclusive.

The increased risk from working too much holds true even after accounting for other risk factors, including age, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, gender differences, and socioeconomic status. Causes of stroke and heart disease are complex, and researchers emphasized that among controllable factors, smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise (physical inactivity) continue to be significant risk factors.

So is 54 hours the ideal work week? Apparently not; the more you work past 40, the higher the risk. Those who worked an average of 41 to 48 hours per week in a seven-year period had a 10 percent increase in stroke risk; for those working 49 to 54 hours the risk jumped to 27 percent.

Nations have different ideas about how seriously to take work-related stress, and whether to limit hours by policy. Even in those countries with laws limiting work hours, employers and employees may ignore it, and the researchers found noticeable differences in average work weeks. Among developed countries, Turkey and Mexico have the highest rate of people working more than 50 hours (41 and 29 percent, respectively), while the Netherlands has the lowest (less than 1 percent). In the U.S., 11 percent of workers work more than 50 hours weekly.

Researchers emphasized that health professionals should be aware that working long hours is associated with a significantly increased cardiovascular risks.

Sholeh Patrick, J. D. is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at [email protected].