In a new study from UN’s World Health Organization and International Labour Organization, researchers found working more than 55 hours a week increases the risk of death from heart disease and strokes.
In the study, the team used data from dozens of studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants to examine the risks to life and health associated with working long hours.
They found that working 55 hours or more per week was linked to an estimated 35% increase in the risk of suffering a stroke, and a 17% rise in the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to working 35 to 40 hours.
The researchers estimated that in 2016, 398,000 people died from a stroke and 347,000 from heart disease after working at least 55 hours per week.
Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths due to heart disease linked to long working hours increased by 42%, while the figure for strokes went up by 19%.
Most of the recorded deaths were among people aged 60 to 79, who had worked 55 hours or more per week when they were between 45 and 74 years old.
The study found no difference in the effects on men and women of working long hours.
However, the burden of disease is particularly high among men—who account for 72% of the deaths—because they represent a large proportion of workers worldwide.
It is also higher among people living in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, where there are more informal sector workers who may be forced to work long days.
The WHO is concerned about the trend as the number of people working long hours is increasing. It currently represents 9% of the total world population.
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The study is published in Environment International. One author of the study is Maria Neira.
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