Long working hours may increase risk of coronary heart disease

Objective To evaluate the association between long working hours and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) estimated by Framingham risk score (FRS) in Korean adults. Methods This study evaluated adult participants in Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV (2007–2009). After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, the final sample size for this study model was 8,350. Subjects were asked about working hours and health status. Participants also completed physical examinations and biochemical measurement necessary for estimation of FRS. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to investigate the association between working hours and 10‐year risk for CHD estimated by FRS. Results Compared to those who work 31–40 hr, significantly higher 10‐year risk was estimated among subjects working longer hours. As working hours increased, odds ratio (OR) for upper 10 percent of estimated 10‐year risk for CHD was increased up to 1.94. Conclusions Long working hours are significantly related to risk of coronary heart disease. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:1227–1234, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.