All work and no play could raise your stroke risk from Mercola
Do you frequently clock in long hours in the office to get more work done? If you answered yes, you may want to rethink this habit. In a 2019 French study, researchers revealed that people who worked long hours for less than 10 years had a 29% higher stroke risk. In those who worked long hours for more than 10 years, the risk was 45% higher. Dr. Alexis Descatha, one of the study’s authors, tells the BBC:
“The association between 10 years of long work hours and stroke seemed stronger for people under the age of 50. This was unexpected. Further research is needed to explore this finding. As a clinician, I will advise my patients to work more efficiently and I plan to follow my own advice.”
The fact is Americans work very long hours, spending at least 47 hours at work each week. That’s a lot, especially if you compare it to British and French employees who only clock in 37.5 and 35 hours weekly, respectively. Hence, it’s not surprising that stroke continues to be a pervasive health issuein the U.S. An estimated 795,000 stroke cases occur annually, causing at least 142,000 deaths. Alarmingly, more and more young people suffer from stroke, as 10% of cases occur in those under 50 years old.
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But stroke is just one of the issues that working overtime brings. Constantly spending long hours in the workplace can also increase your risk for weight gain, cigarette use, alcohol intake and mental health problems. It can also lead to inconsistent sleeping hours and sleep loss. All of these can put a significant strain on your well-being.
So, if you’re among those who work long hours, stop the habit and start managing your work hours. Other lifestyle tweaks that can help you avoid a stroke — and boost your health in general — include:
