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Effect of overtime work on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure
T Hayashi1, Y Kobayashi, K Yamaoka
1Hitachi Health Care Center, Ibaraki, Japan.
Insights
Long working hours increase cardiovascular strain in male white-collar workers. Overtime work elevates 24-hour blood pressure and heart rate, indicating a significant health risk.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Concerns about adverse health effects of long working hours, including "Karoshi" (death from overwork), are rising in Japan.
- Conventional health checkups may fail to detect early cardiovascular strain caused by occupational stress.
- Overtime work is a prevalent issue among white-collar professionals, necessitating investigation into its health impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of overtime work on the cardiovascular system of male white-collar workers.
- To identify specific cardiovascular parameters affected by extended working hours.
- To provide evidence for the need for proactive health monitoring in relation to work-related stress.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data.
- Inclusion of male white-collar workers categorized by overtime work status (regular overtime, periodic overtime, control).
- Analysis of average blood pressure and heart rate during different work periods.
Main Results:
- Workers with normal blood pressure and mild hypertension showed elevated 24-hour average blood pressure in overtime groups compared to controls.
- Periodic overtime work was associated with increased 24-hour average blood pressure and heart rate during busy work periods.
- A dose-response relationship between overtime and cardiovascular burden is suggested.
Conclusions:
- Overtime work significantly increases the burden on the cardiovascular system in male white-collar workers.
- Extended working hours contribute to elevated blood pressure and heart rate, even in individuals without pre-existing hypertension.
- Findings underscore the importance of managing working hours to mitigate occupational cardiovascular risks.
Abstract:
Recently, the adverse effects of long working hours on the cardiovascular systems of workers in Japan, including "Karoshi" (death from overwork), have been the focus of social concern. However, conventional methods of health checkups are often unable to detect the early signs of such adverse effects. To evaluate the influence of overtime work on the cardiovascular system, we compared 24-hour blood pressure measurements among several groups of male white-collar workers. As a result, for those with normal blood pressure and those with mild hypertension, the 24-hour average blood pressure of the overtime groups was higher than that of the control groups; for those who periodically did overtime work, the 24-hour average blood pressure and heart rate during the busy period increased. These results indicate that the burden on the cardiovascular system of white-collar workers increases with overtime work.