While people are more an more career oriented these days, then tend to spend more an more time at work. This means that from the normal amount of 35-40 hours per week, they can reach a whopping 55, which eventually take a toe on their heath.
According to a recent research project, working this much every week leads to a significant increase in the odds to developing cardiovascular problems and having a stroke.
This project has been conducted by University College of London’s Dr Mika Kivimaki and her teem of researchers who have analyzed extensive research previously made on this topic, in order to get a better understanding of what exactly happens when people choose to work more than they are supposed to.
I seems that all the stress associated with working long hours, combined with the prolonged amount of time workaholics spend on chairs at the office and the irregular eating patterns that become inevitable are quite the recipe for disaster. The study reveals that working as much as 55 hours a week determines an increase of as much as 33% in a person’s chances for having a stroke.
Furthermore, while overworking less might seem to be less devastating to your health, the study revealed that every hour of overtime has consequences. If 55 hours per week increase the odds of having a stroke by 33%, then 54 hours per week determine an increase of 27%.
Even working one or two hours extra every day and reaching 48 hours a week can lead to a 10% increase, which means that it is rather crucial to your heath that you stick to the schedule, because being a workaholic might not have the results you would like it to.
The worst thing is that this increase in the odds of developing a stroke actually come in addition to all the other predisposing factors that rely on genetics and other aspects that are not related to work.
“People need to be extra careful that they still maintain a healthy lifestyle and ensure their blood pressure does not increase.”says Dr. Kivimaki.
When reducing the amount of work that people put in weekly is not an option, the only remaining solution is that they make the healthiest lifestyle choices possible, so as to keep their odds of getting sick to a minimum.
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