foodconsumer.org: Workaholics more likely to have heart problem?

Workaholics more likely to have heart problem?
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admin on 05/12/2010 11:24:00
 
A new study published online in the European Heart Journal suggests working
overtime for a few hours may drastically boost heart risk.
The study showed that those who worked ten or more hours a day were at a 60
percent increased risk of heart-related problems such as death due to heart
disease, nonfatal heart attacks and angina.
Dr. Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health, Helsinki (Finland) and University College London (UK) and
colleagues conducted the study.
The researchers found the association after analyzing data from 4,262 men and
1,752 women aged 39 to 61 who are followed for 11.2 years. Of the subjects, 369
cases of fatal coronary heart disease, nonfatal heart attacks or angina were
identified.
However, they found participants who worked one or two hours longer each day did
not seem at higher risk for heart problems.
The researchers said  the increased risk may be due to many things.   One
possibility is that people working overtime often were more aggressive, tense,
time-conscious and hostile, which is not good for heart health.
By David Liu