Workaholics should take a break from their jobs to read this, but they probably won't: A new study finds that working more than 10 hours a day can increase a person's chance of having a stroke.
Working long hours has long been considered a potential risk factor for stroke. This study published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke links an increased likelihood of having a stroke to working 10 or more hours a day for at least 50 days a year.
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Of the 143,592 participants studied, 42,542 reported working long hours, while 14,481 reported working long hours for 10 years or more. And among all the participants, 1,224 had suffered strokes.
Those who worked long hours had a 29% greater risk of stroke, while those who worked long hours for 10 years or more had a 45% greater risk of stroke.
There were no statistical differences between men and women. However, one finding in the study shows that there was a stronger association with stroke risk among white-collar workers who worked long work hours under the age of 50.
Through data compiled by CONSTANCES, a French general-purpose cohort used for epidemiological research, the authors of the study examined several risk factors, including age, sex, smoking, working hours, and other cardiovascular risks. They were able to account for any previous occurrence of stroke. The study excluded participants who had strokes prior to working long hours.
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