Sleeping is by far one of our favorite activities. While we might have hated naps as children, as they tended to cut away at our time of endless curiosity and wonder, we started realizing how much we missed them as soon as started getting real responsibilities. But while naps are good for a great many things, staving off the risk of a cardiovascular incident is of particular importance.
The working class is at particular risk of suffering from a cardiovascular incident (heart attack or ischemic stroke), especially since there are a lot of factors in the work environment that increase that chance. And responsible employees have even higher chances, as a study from the University of Texas shows that cardiovascular incident risk is increased by long working hours.
According to one of the study’s lead authors, Sadie Conway from the University of Texas Health Science Center,
This study provides specific evidence on long work hours and an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
So let’s dig right into the study and find out how it is that you have a higher risk of having a heart attack or a stroke if you work longer hours. Well, the study was observational, so no actual cause-effect relationship was established between, only an association. It most likely has to do with the increased number of hours spent sitting down and with the higher levels of stress.
For more details, the health conditions linked to spending long hours at the office are not just heart attacks and ischemic strokes but also angina, high blood pressure, coronary heart and artery disease, and even heart failure. The risk for all of these increases with the more time you spend at work.
According to the study, the risk increased by one percent for every extra hour spent weekly at the office over the span of ten years. The study only looked at full-time workers, with part-time employees being left out of the equation, adding yet another limitation.
The average full time employee spends around 45 hours a week at the office in a time span of ten years or more. A ten hour increase in that average, 55 hours worked per week increased the chance of developing any of the aforementioned diseases by 16%. Meanwhile 60 weekly were associated with a 35% increase in cardiovascular disease chances.
In order to help with reducing the chance of developing a cardiovascular illness, the good people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a statement, giving us some helpful tips.
Stop smoking. Once and for all, go cold turkey and drop the smoking habit. Alcohol increases blood pressure. Limiting your intake and will help reduce heart disease risk. Switch and stick to a healthy diet made up of fresh vegetables and fruits, which includes both full meals and snacks.
Limit the intake of sodium. Lose weight. Being obese or overweight increases the risk of developing heart disease. Trim down by fixing your eating habits as well as exercising regularly.
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