Health issues: The hours you work determines heart health

The longer people work, the higher are their chances of developing heart disease within the next 10 years! Researchers now link working more than 40-hours a week with the narrowing and hardening of blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart.

Working more than a 40-hour week causes stress and dissatisfaction, but researchers have now linked long working hours with the narrowing and hardening of blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart.

The longer people worked, the higher were their chances of developing heart disease within the next 10 years, with those working 80 hours – roughly 12 hours a day seven days a week – almost doubling their chances of a heart attack, reported the American Journal of Industrial Medicine last week. Working 61 to 70 hours brought a 42% higher risk, 71 to 80 hours a 63% increased risk, and an 80-hours schedule a 94% higher risk.

More than your genes, it’s how you live your life that determines heart health. “90% heart attacks can be prevented by controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes; eating high fibre-low fat food; staying fit; not smoking; and managing psychosocial factors such as stress,” says Dr Ashok Seth, chairman, cardiac sciences, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.

And it is never too late to start looking after your heart. Adopting four healthy behaviours -- eating at least five fruits and vegetables daily, exercising at least 2.5 hours a week, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking –can lower your chances of heart disease and death by a third.

Cutting back on smoking, salt intake, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and obesity can prevent premature (under 70 years) deaths from heart or lung disease, stroke, cancer or diabetes by 40% (37 million lives saved) by 2025, compared with 2010, reported The Lancet medical journal in May.

“The most critical benefit came from quitting tobacco. Halving smoking by 2025, instead of the global target of 30% reduction, would halve risk of early death,” said Dr Srinath K. Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India.

“Smoking along with obesity, inactivity and bad diets perpetuates a chain of risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, each of which individually boosts the risk of heart disease,” adds Dr Reddy.

Smoking makes the blood viscous and triggers clot formation, which can block arteries and cause heart attacks even in healthy people. “It is the biggest cause of heart attacks in young people with no other risk factors,” Dr Seth.

(The nutritional plan for a healthy heart is eating less of saturated fats like butter and more of oils such as olive and mustard oils, eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day; six or more servings of wholegrains such as wheat and brown rice, low-fat milk products; legumes and beans; and fish and lean meats. One serving is roughly a cupful of uncooked food and half a cup of cooked food.)

The other factors are inactivity and stress. “You must have interests that take your mind off your work, be it photography, pets, music or exercising. Doing things that give you joy is the best way to unwind,” says Dr Seth.

Irrespective of where he is or how long his day has been, Dr Seth who does one hour of cardio and weight-training each day. He also trains in classical music and keeps aside two-three hours of for riyaaz (training) with his guru each week. “Singing for me is like meditation, it rejuvenates me and prepares me for the week ahead,” he says.

HEALTH TIP: To calculate your heart attack within the next 10 years, get a Framingham Risk Estimate that calculates risk based on a summary of major risk factors such as age, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels and smoking.