Working Long Hours Raises Risk for High Blood Pressure

As many across the world struggle to achieve a work-life balance, new research published in Hypertension shows that long hours can cause medical problems. Specifically, researchers in California have shown that long work hours were a significant marker for the development of high blood pressure. To perform the study, researchers used a sample of over 24,000 people between the ages of 18 and 64, who worked at least 11 hours a week. The data came from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, and relied on patients to self-report the presence of hypertension. The study revealed a ?dose-response? association between hours worked and high blood pressure; the longer the hours worked, the higher the likelihood of having high blood pressure. Compared with those working between 11 and 39 hours per week, individuals working 40 hours per week were 14% more likely to report high blood pressure. Those who worked 51 hours or more per week were 29% more likely to report this condition. This association was independent of diabetes, obesity, and smoking status. The findings are important at a time when many countries including Japan and those in the European Union are enacting laws limiting work hours, and many in North America routinely suffer from burnout related to long hours and work stress.