A study by University College London following the health of 7,000 Whitehall civil servants for 11 years found that working an 11-hour day increases the risk of having a heart attack by two-thirds, compared to working between seven and eight hours.

The study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that doctors should take into account patients’ working hours when assessing their risk of developing heart disease.

Professor Mika Kivimäki, the epidemiologist who led the study, said of the results: : “It could also be a wake-up call for people who overwork themselves, especially if they already have other risk factors.”

Written exclusively for The Life Dept| Live Longer | 7 July 2011 | providers of life insurance, critical illness insurance and income protection