Working more than 55 hours raises risk of heart problems

Working more than 55 hours a week significantly increases the risk of developing serious heart problems, researchers have found.

People who work such long hours are 40 per cent more likely to suffer an irregular heartbeat than those who work a normal working week of 35 to 40 hours, according to a study.

Long shifts were already known to increase the risk of stroke, but the link with heart rhythm problems - known by the medical term atrial fibrillation - was not previously known.

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