Research on more than half a million people has found that working longer hours can increase chances of a stroke.
The chance of stroke increased when it evaluated people who did not work a traditional nine to five job. There is an uncertainty of the link between the job and chance of stroke, but theories include a stressful job, the factor of damaging work-life-family lifestyle or that sitting down for long periods of time is bad for health.
The study showed that those who worked longer hours than a normal 9 to 5 job, which amounts to 35-40 hours a week, individuals working up to 48 hours increased the risk of stroke by 10 percent, up 54 hours by 27 percent. A chance of stroke is a whopping 33 percent for those who work over 55 hours a week.
Dr Mika Kivimaki, from University College London, who took part in this analysis, said that there were fewer than five strokes per 1,000 employees in the 35-40 hour group. The number of strokes increases to six per 1,000 employees for those working 55 hours or more.
Experts say those who work long hours should monitor their blood pressure, still maintain a healthy lifestyle and make regular appointments with a GP or health professional.
Dr Shamim Quadir, from the Stroke Association, says that those who work long hours tend to sit for long periods of time, can experience stress which “leads to less time available to look after yourself.”