Working 55 hours or more per week may “modestly increase” the risk of stroke and heart disease, according to a recent study from the US Government Accountability Office.
The researchers found no clear correlation between long work hours and increased risk of type 2 diabetes or depression, however.
“Long work hours could lead to poor health outcomes through both behavioral and physical pathways, according to theories presented in the systematic reviews we selected,” the GAO report said. “For example, long work hours could lead individuals to engage in behaviors or experience conditions that increase their risk of stroke and heart disease,” such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or getting improper sleep.
The GAO analyzed data from the Current Population Survey, which is sponsored jointly by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, from 2003 through 2023. The independent, nonpartisan government agency, part of the legislative branch, analyzed data for employed workers aged 25 or more years.
Over the time period of the analysis, the percentage of workers who usually worked standard full-time hours (35 to 40 hours per week) increased, whereas the percentages of workers who usually worked longer hours decreased.
The GAO estimated that working longer hours may increase the risk of having a stroke by 35% compared with people who work standard full-time hours. Fifty-five hours seemed to be the threshold for increased risk, they said, as they didn’t find evidence of an increased risk of experiencing a stroke among those who worked 41 to 54 hours a week.
“The authors described the size of this increased risk as modest, but noted that it potentially affects a large population of workers,” GAO reported.
The good news, according to the findings, is that although working very long hours may increase a person’s risk for stroke, there was no evidence of an association between any level of long work hours and an increased risk of dying from a stroke.
Developing coronary artery disease among those working very long hours comes with a 13% increase compared with those working standard hours and a 17% increase in the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease.
Individuals who worked long hours were more likely to be male, white (non-Hispanic), have at least a bachelor’s degree, be higher wage earners and have multiple jobs. The data, however, show that workers working multiple jobs were more likely than those with one job to be female, Black (non-Hispanic) or Hispanic, and earn middle or low wages.
The experts at the GAO said that additional research is needed into the effects on health from working very long hours.
