Too much overtime is bad for your health, says study

Research into civil servants shows 60% increase in heart-related illness

Working overtime is bad for your health, according to a study which shows it brings an increased risk of heart disease and heart attacks.

The research shows a 60% increase in heart-related illness such as non-fatal heart attacks and angina in those who work for three hours or more longer than a normal seven-hour day.

The research was part of the long-running Whitehall II study, which has followed the health of more than 10,000 civil servants since 1985. This latest analysis, reported in the European Heart Journal, looks at the working patterns of more than 6,000 people, aged 39-61, over an average of around 11 years.

One or two hours' overtime made no difference to people's health, the researchers from University College London and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health found. But three or more hours led to a 60% increased risk of coronary heart disease.

One of the explanations might be to do with the type of people who work long hours, who are classified within the Whitehall study as evincing "type A" behaviour – aggressive, competitive, tense, time-conscious and generally hostile.

Another factor could be psychological distress in the form of depression and anxiety, and possibly not enough sleep, or not enough time to unwind before going to sleep. The overtime workers could also be the sort who are more likely to carry on working while unwell, or may have high blood-pressure during office hours which does not show up at the GP surgery.

But none of these things fully explain the raised heart disease risk. Dr Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist in Helsinki who worked on the study, added that they had not measured what happens if people reduce their hours.

"One plausible explanation for the increased risk could be that adverse lifestyle or risk factor changes are more common among those who work excessive hours compared with those working normal hours," she said. "Another possibility is that the chronic experience of stress (often associated with working long hours) adversely affects metabolic processes. It is important that these hypotheses should be examined in detail in the future."

The authors also warn that their civil servant cohort was exclusively white-collar and public sector, and therefore the findings cannot be extrapolated to people in blue-collar jobs or in the private sector.

In an editorial in the journal, Gordon McInnes, professor of clinical pharmacology at the University of Glasgow's Western Infirmary, said the findings could have major implications and doctors should recognise that overtime may carry heart risks. Quoting Bertrand Russell, he wrote: "If I were a medical man, I should prescribe a holiday to any patient who considers work important."

Dr John Challenor, from the Society of Occupational Medicine, called it a significant study. "In many ways it confirms what we as occupational health doctors already know – that work-life balance plays a vital role in wellbeing," he said. "Whilst research has shown that work is generally good for your health, we also know that an excess of work that is unremitting can have adverse health effects.

"Employers and patients need to be aware of all of the risk factors for coronary heart disease – and should consider overtime as one factor that may lead to a number of medical conditions."

Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "If we're stuck in the office we've less time to relax, get a good night's sleep, and take enough physical activity, all of which have been found to help reduce stress levels and protect against heart disease.

"Until researchers understand how our working lives can affect the risk to our heart health there are simple ways to look after your heart health at work, like taking a brisk walk at lunch, taking the stairs instead of the lift, or by swapping that biscuit for a piece of fruit."

Courtesy : guardian.co.uk