Long working hours and cardiovascular mortality: a census-based cohort study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Disease Research

Background:

• Long working hours are a growing concern globally, with previous studies showing inconsistent associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.
• Large-scale cohort studies are essential to clarify the relationship between extended work schedules and fatal CVD events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between long working hours and CVD mortality in a large cohort of Italian workers.
• To determine if working more than 55 hours per week impacts the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.

Main Methods:

• A census-based cohort study of 11,903,540 Italian workers (aged 20-64) was conducted, with a 5-year follow-up period (2012-2016).
• Cause-specific hazard ratios (cHRs) were estimated using Cox regression models to analyze the link between long working hours and CVD mortality.

Main Results:

• Over 5 years, 17,206 CVD deaths occurred. Men working ≥55 hours/week had a cHR of 0.95 (95% CI 0.89-1.02) for all CVDs.
• Women working ≥55 hours/week showed a cHR of 1.19 (95% CI 0.95-1.49) for all CVDs.
• Professional women working >55 hours/week had a cHR of 1.98 (95% CI 0.87-4.52), though this was based on few events.

Conclusions:

• The study found no significant association between long working hours and CVD mortality in active Italian men.
• A potential increased risk of CVD mortality among women working long hours is suggested, but requires further investigation due to limited event numbers.