[Karoshi, death by overwork]

Tetsunojo Uehata1

  • 1School of Humanity, Section of Human Nutrition, Seitoku University.

Insights

Karoshi, or death by overwork, is linked to cardiovascular diseases like stroke. Changes in compensation standards in 2000 recognized this link, increasing Karoshi cases significantly.

Area of Science:

  • Social Medicine
  • Occupational Health
  • Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology

Context:

  • Karoshi (death by overwork) is a recognized social medical issue.
  • Cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction are frequently associated with Karoshi.
  • The Workers' Insurance Compensation Standard was revised in December 2000.

Purpose:

  • To highlight the link between chronic fatigue from overwork and cardiovascular attacks.
  • To report the increase in Karoshi compensation cases following the 2000 policy change.
  • To inform about the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's stance on Karoshi causes.

Summary:

  • The 2000 policy change acknowledged the relationship between chronic fatigue and cardiovascular events, leading to a surge in Karoshi compensation claims from approximately 80 to over 300 cases.
  • Long working hours, particularly unpaid overtime extending over several months, are identified as primary contributors to Karoshi.
  • Labor Standard Inspector Offices are now advising companies to reduce monthly overtime to below 45 hours.

Impact:

  • Increased recognition and compensation for Karoshi cases attributed to cardiovascular diseases.
  • Potential for policy changes and workplace interventions aimed at reducing long working hours.
  • Heightened awareness among employers and employees regarding the health risks of overwork.

Related Concept Videos

Acute Respiratory Failure-III01:30

Acute Respiratory Failure-III

Hypercapnic respiratory failure, also known as Type 2 or ventilatory respiratory failure, is a severe condition characterized by the body's inability to effectively remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the bloodstream. It leads to an arterial CO2 pressure (PaCO2) exceeding 45 mmHg and a blood pH above 7.35. This situation indicates that the body's ventilatory demand, or the ventilation needed to maintain normal PaCO2 levels, surpasses its supply or the maximum gas flow achievable without causing...
Necrosis01:16

Necrosis

Necrosis is considered as an “accidental” or unexpected form of cell death that ends in cell lysis. The first noticeable mention of “necrosis” was in 1859 when Rudolf Virchow used this term to describe advanced tissue breakdown in his compilation titled “Cell Pathology”.
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...
Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...
Fatigue01:21

Fatigue

Fatigue occurs when materials rupture under repeated or fluctuating loads, even at stress levels far below their static breaking strength. It typically results in brittle failure, even for ductile materials. It is a critical consideration in designing machines and structural components subjected to repetitive or varying loads. The nature of these loadings can range from fluctuating loads like unbalanced pump impellers causing vibrations to repeatedly bending a thin steel rod wire back and forth...
Kubler Ross's Stages of Dying01:21

Kubler Ross's Stages of Dying

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross significantly advanced psychology's understanding of the process of dying with her influential book, On Death and Dying (1969). She focused on studying terminally ill individuals and outlined five stages commonly experienced when coping with death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
In denial, individuals reject the reality of their condition, often thinking, "This isn't true; I feel fine," as a way to protect themselves from emotional distress. Anger...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...