Could Working Long Hours Be Bad for Your Heart?

In a low-risk cohort, adding working hours to standard Framingham risk factors improved prediction of coronary heart disease.

Working long hours is associated with an increase in risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Investigators used data on civil service workers in London to study how the incorporation of information on work hours into the Framingham risk score (FRS) affects prediction of 10-year risk for CHD. They excluded individuals who already had CHD, worked part time, or lacked data on working hours at baseline. Baseline mean levels of coronary risk factors were low or moderately elevated in the 7095 participants included in the analysis. Fifty-four percent of participants worked 7 to 8 hours per day, and 10% worked ≥11 hours per day.

During a median follow-up of 12.3 years, 192 incident CHD events occurred. Compared with participants working 7 to 8 hours…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute