UN Study Links Overwork, Death from Heart Disease, Stroke

GENEVA - A growing number of people around the world are dying from heart disease and stroke because of overwork, a new World Health Organization-International Labor Organization study says. The study is based on data from more than 2,300 surveys collected in 154 countries from 1970 to 2018.

The study says those working at least 55 hours a week are at higher risk of dying from heart disease and stroke.   In 2016, the data show 1 in 10 people around the world, or 450 million, worked excessively long hours, leading to 745,000 heart disease and stroke deaths.  Frank Pega, a technical officer in WHO’s department of environment, climate change and health, says this is a 29% increase since 2000.   “We know that this burden disproportionately affects men," said Pega. "Seventy percent of all death deaths? from cardiovascular disease occur occurs? in men, according to our official estimates.  Also, the regions that are most affected are Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.  And we can tell you that it appears that middle-aged and older workers are disproportionately burdened.”