Working long hours significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes by raising your blood pressure New study finds working 49 hours a week increases risk of hypertension by up to 70 per cent

People who put in long hours at the office are significantly more likely to have heart attacks, stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease, a new study finds.

Researchers found that those who spend 49 or more hours a week at work have a much higher chance of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, than people working 35 hours or less, as the cumulative stress of being in the office environment takes its toll.

They have a 66 per cent higher risk of developing sustained hypertension, while the risk of masked hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that can often go undetected during a routine medical appointment, is 70 per cent higher.

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The results were similar for men and women.

“Both masked and sustained high blood pressure are linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk,” Xavier Trudel

“Both masked and sustained high blood pressure are linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk,” said lead lead author Xavier Trudel, of Laval University in Quebec, Canada.

“People should be aware that long work hours might affect their heart health. And if they’re working long hours, they should ask their doctors about checking their blood pressure over time with a wearable monitor,” he added.

Stressful combination

Dr Trudel said many office jobs were a stressful combination of high work load and responsibility with low levels of power. This becomes increasingly overwhelming the less time people have to recharge their batteries outside the office.

“The observed associations accounted for job strain, a work stressor defined as a combination of high work demands and low decision-making authority,” Dr Trudel said.

However, there may also be other factors at play and he is keen to research those next.

“Future research could examine whether family responsibilities – such as a worker’s number of children, household duties and childcare role – might interact with work circumstances to explain high blood pressure,” he said.

High blood pressure is a widespread problem

The researchers also found that people who work between 41 and 48 hours each week have a 54 per cent greater likelihood of developing masked hypertension and 42 per higher risk of sustained hypertension – again compared to those putting in 35 hours or less.

More than 14 million adults in the UK have high blood pressure – as many as five million of these are thought to be undiagnosed, as there are rarely any symptoms.

The study is published in the journal Hypertension.