People who have a habit of spending long hours at work can be at increased risk of developing heart ailments.The study showed that, compared to people who worked a normal week of between 35-40 hours, those who worked 55 hours or more were about 40 per cent more likely to develop atrial fibrillation during the following ten years.For every 1,000 people in the study, an extra 5.2 cases of atrial fibrillation occurred among those working long hours during the ten-year follow-up. "These findings show that long working hours are associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia," said a Professor at a University in London who led the research.
This could be one of the mechanisms that explain the previously observed increased risk of stroke among those working long hours. "Atrial fibrillation is known to contribute to the development of…
