Hard work can kill you- study

[Posted: Tue 07/09/2010 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

New research appears to have put paid to the old adage that a bit of hard work never killed anyone.

Unfit men who work long hours are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease as unfit men who work shorter hours, Danish researchers have found.

And their study showed that fit men who work long hours are less likely to succumb to heart disease.

The study was carried out on 5,000 Danish men aged 40 to 59 whose heart health and fitness levels were tracked over 30 years.

More than two-thirds of the men worked between 41 and 45 hours a week, and almost one-in-five worked longer hours.

During the study period, 587 of the participants died as a result of heart disease caused by narrow and hardened arteries.

Further analysis revealed that those least physically fit were at greatest risk of dying from heart disease, particularly if they worked longer hours.

Men working 41 to 45 hours a week were 59% more likely to die from heart disease than those working fewer hours, it was found.

Physically fit men working longer hours were 45% less likely to die of heart disease.

Even among those who were moderately fit and working long hours, the risk of death from heart disease was significantly lower than among those men who were unfit.

The research is published in the journal Heart.

Visit our Heart Disease Clinic here