Скачать или смотреть Working overtime doubles stroke risks study

It's no secret that working all hours of the day can have a serious effect on your health.
A new study by a local hospital shows that putting in those extra hours at the office can more than double your risk of having a stroke.
Hwang Sung-hee reports. Thirty-seven-year-old Jung Dae-woong suffered a stroke two years ago.
Since then, his left arm has been paralysed and he is unable to use his left leg freely.
Jung says working 19 hours a day, for 10 years, had weakened the blood vessels on his brain.

"I always had a headache and felt tired. But I thought I was just hungover."

Working night and day like Jung for too long can increase the risk of a stroke.
But just how many hours of working overtime is too much?
A study by the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital showed the risk of suffering a stroke was 38 percent higher for those who worked nine to 12 hours a day, compared to people with four hour shifts.
For those who worked more than 13 hours a day, the risk was 94 percent higher.
Doctors say overworking and the stress that comes with it, can raise a person's blood pressure and damage the brain's blood vessel walls.


"If a person overworks, this accelerates the sympathetic nerve and if one is under too much stress it leads to high blood pressure. This process leads to the damaging of blood vessel walls."

There are no clear symptoms of a stroke....
But if a person suddenly has difficulty with raising one arm or leg or has speech problems, a doctor should be seen, immediately.
There are, however, some ways to prevent a stroke, like excersising regularly, going to the hospital for regular check-ups, keeping down blood-pressure and avoiding heavy drinking.

Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News.