Washington Post: Working more than 55 hours a week is bad for you—in many ways

A study published last week in Lancet, a British medical journal, revealed an alarming revelation relating to work hours, productivity and risk of stroke. According to the study, those who work over 55 hours a week have 33 percent high risk of stroke than their counterparts working 35 to 40 hours each week. Those who clock in more than 55 hours in the workplace every week are also 13 percent more likely to develop coronary heart disease.

“Prior studies have associated working more than 11 hours a day with higher risks of heart attack,” the Washington Post reported. “Researchers have found a link between working more than 55 hours a week and greater issues with sleep disturbances. Others have recently done a "meta-analysis" of other published research and found that workaholics are more likely to drink 'risky' levels of alcohol, too.”

Cognitive function and productivity are also adversely affected by long work hours. According to the Post, the average employee remains under the 55-hour threshold, but the average hours demanded from a U.S. worker continues to rise.