Working a 10-hour day once a week increases stroke risk by nearly a third, study finds

[Matt Hunt]

I wonder if this applies to entrepreneurs, or is it just for jobs?

I am in healthcare, and I see so many patients who literally give up their health for their job. Sadly, it's just as bad, if not worse, in the healthcare industry! Which is why I'm switching into the Fastlane!

Working a 10-hour day once a week increases stroke risk by nearly a third, study finds

People who work an average of one 10-hour day a week see their risk of suffering a stroke rise by a third compared with someone who does not regularly work “long hours”, a French study has found.Researchers looking at the impact of working cultures on cardiovascular health found that people who...

news.yahoo.com

 

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[DeletedUser0287]

I think another variable to consider if a person enjoys what they are doing or not. If 10hrs liking what you are doing has the same effect.

 

[Matt Hunt]

I think another variable to consider if a person enjoys what they are doing or not. If 10hrs liking what you are doing has the same effect.

More likely related to stress levels. Which could still be high in something you enjoy. A little stress is good, because it motivates you, but too much is bad for your health.

 

[A_Random_Guy]

“As a clinician, I will advise my patients to work more efficiently and plan to follow my own advice,”

Sadly, the work more efficiently part is applicable to product based jobs. For service-oriented companies that pay low, you have to work constantly for 8-10hours and your productivity doesn't matter.
Is this research based on people whose work involves physical task or does it involve those who have to sit in front of the computer as well?

 

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[Rawseed]

The increased risk of stroke is likely associated with increased blood pressure caused by chronically increased cortisol levels caused by chronic stress.

Increased blood sugar and blood insulin levels are probably involved as well.

The ideal work day should be 8 hours of work, 8 hours of fun/family/friends, and 8 hours of sleep.

The 8 hours of work should include the commute.

 

[NursingTn]

For those interested in the actual research contents:

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.025454

The study focuses on people working more than ten hours a day for 50 days of a year [with consideration to demographics, generalized occupation categories such as being a business owner/executive or in a low to high white/blue collar work, along with presence of certain health conditions like diabetes or hyperlipidemia] over a span of many years to determine if there is an increased risk for stroke, and the study conclusion is that there is an increased risk for stroke.

The study's methodology and conclusion, however, leaves much unanswered.

Do work conditions matter, e.g. hours where you are stressed, expectations being placed on you, being exposed to elements like the cold, undergoing heavy labor, mental stressors, etc.? If work isn't stressful, but instead it is fun, will that still increase risk for stroke given the consideration of working more than 10 hours for more than 50 days of the year?

The study embraces having independent risk factors for stroke (as in, participants report they actually have conditions such as diabetes) as a positive sign that the stroke diagnosis reported by participants is accurate. However, what if these risk factors caused the stroke, and it isn't the working conditions themselves?

The study would have been a lot stronger if they specifically compare two distinctive groups, i.e. one group with no independent risk factors for stroke where they work more than ten hours for more than 50 days of the year for over many years versus one group that may have risk factors working more than ten hours for more than 50 days of the year for over many years.

Conventional wisdom may tell you that long work hours for a long period of time is bad for many reasons. However, will it increase your likelihood of stroke if you work that much? I would say, yes, especially if your working conditions comprised of situations that cause prolonged stress response within the body, including rotating shifts, inability to take care of your physical and mental health, exposure to external stressors such as intense heat or cold, etc.

But can I use this study to support my assertion? No, for the two above criticisms of the research design.

 

[Matt Hunt]

Increased risk percentage isn't very well understood, either. The risk of stroke in men age 60-80 is about 6%. So a 33% increase makes it 8% (not 39%). So yes, the risk is slightly higher, but for the majority of people, they still won't get a stroke.

 

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[MakeItHappen]

One thing to consider... what if you live a healthy lifestyle?

I can imagine that someone that has a healthy diet, exercises a couple times per week, meditates for 10-20 minute daily and has a good social life will react way better to increased work load than someone who has the typical western lifestyle.

BTW: There is also research that suggests to take a break from work every 40-90 minutes for 5-20 minutes. I imagine there is a big difference between someone who works 10 hours per day and hasone long break and someone that takes efficient breaks throughout the day.
Also, what you do in your breaks matters. If you scroll social media at your desk it won't be as refreshing as if you go for a brisk walk, leaving the smart phone at the desk.

I also remember hearing about a study that showed a significant difference in energy levels between people who liked their work and people who hated it.

I am sure that most of the negative effects of long working hours can be minimized.

 

[FierceRacoon]

It's an associational study. As always, correlation does not imply causation. For example, people who need to work long hours may be financially stressed. Also, they have used a self-administered questionnaire. Do you think people are very accurate about reporting their working hours for the past decade?

Such a study does not and cannot find that working long hours increases stroke risk; it's misleading to formulate it like that. Rather, it adds an ounce of evidence. It's a scientific journal meant for professional researchers accumulating and interpreting evidence over time; a single study has no implications for ordinary citizens.