Long Hours At The Office Increase The Risk Of Hypertension

Long hours at the office increase the risk of hypertension

Office workers who work too long hours are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, including disguised blood pressure.

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Office workers who work too long hours are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, including disguised blood pressure, according to a new study in the journal Hypertension.

Canadian researchers from the University of Laval studied the working hours and health status of more than 3,500 employees in three public institutions in Quebec. They compared the blood pressure of office workers who work more than 40 hours a week with those of those who work 35 hours.

The researchers found that working 49 hours or more per week increased the likelihood of disguised hypertension by 70%. In such cases, the disease is not recorded during visits to the doctor, but is determined with constant monitoring. The risk of a clinical diagnosis of hypertension with this mode of work increased by 66%, and when working 41 and 48 hours a week - by 54% and 42%, respectively.

Variables such as work load, age, gender, educational level, occupation, smoking, body mass index and other health factors were taken into account.

The five-year study consisted of three rounds of testing conducted in years one, three, and five. To simulate a blood pressure reading in a clinic, participants were given a wearable monitor to check their resting blood pressure three times in one morning. During the rest of the work day, the participant wore a device that measured blood pressure every 15 minutes.

Overall, nearly 19% of workers suffered from hypertension, including those taking high blood pressure medications. More than 13% had masked hypertension and did not receive appropriate treatment. The association between long work hours and high blood pressure was about the same for both men and women.

“People should be aware that working too long hours can affect their heart health. Disguised hypertension can affect someone for a long period of time and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term. Within five years, about 1 in 5 people with disguised hypertension never developed high blood pressure in a clinical setting, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment,”said Xavier Trudel, lead author of the study.