According to the latest study, a work week lasting more than 55 hours can cause the development of atrial fibrillation, one of the most common types of heart rhythm disturbances that can lead to a stroke. The results of the study are published in the European Heart Journal.

The study was conducted by an international team of scientists led by Mika Kivimaki from University College London. Scientists analyzed the health status of almost 85,000 workers (the average age of participants was 43.4 years). None of them suffered from arrhythmia at the beginning of the experiment.

The authors studied the data of electrocardiograms, medical history, information on drug costs and death certificates. Participants were observed on average for ten years.

Scientists have registered a little more than a thousand cases of atrial fibrillation.

Taking into account such factors as gender, social and economic status, it turned out that those who worked more than 55 hours a week (about 5% of the total number of participants) had a risk of arrhythmia almost one and a half times greater than those who worked 35-40 hours a week (about 63% of all participants).

In nine out of ten cases, atrial fibrillation developed in those who had never suffered from any cardiovascular disease prior to the study. Hence, scientists concluded that long working hours can contribute to the development of this disease.

As the researchers note, the lifestyle of those who process is generally less healthy than the rest. They are less physically active, more likely to suffer from obesity and alcohol abuse.

Scientists say that stress at work is a potential risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases, and regular reprocessing can increase the risk of stroke. However, scientists know little about the specific relationship between the duration of the working day and the development of atrial fibrillation.

Recall, the founder of the Internet company Alibaba Group, Jack Ma predicted a 4-hour day for mankind in thirty years.

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