April/May 2015 (vol. 11/6)

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MetS not influenced by long working hours

Long working hours do not increase the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) – a common disease complex that includes diabetes, dyslipidaemia, obesity and high blood pressure – or any of its components, according to this prospective cohort study of nearly 7,000 university graduates in Spain. Working hours were assessed by an initial (baseline) questionnaire. A total of 409 participants were newly diagnosed with MetS during a mean follow-up of 8.3 years, with a cumulative incidence of 10.4% for men and 3.4% for women. While long working hours (at least 50 hours a week) were associated with MetS in the initial analysis, the link was not significant after controlling for age and sex. The study did not take account of any changes in working hours since the baseline assessment. 

European Journal of Public Health 2015; online first: doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cku245

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Occupational Health at Work April/May 2015 (vol. 11/6) pp48