According to a recent study, people who spend longer than usual hours at the workplace are more susceptible to the onset of hypertension. A considerable proportion of such individuals may also suffer a hidden form of hypertension, also known as masked hypertension, which as the name suggests may go undetected in clinical settings. The new study, conducted by a Canadian research team, enlisted more than 3,500 white-collar employees at three public institutions in Quebec. These institutions generally provide insurance services to the general population. Compared with colleagues who worked fewer than 35 hours a week, working 49 or more hours each week was linked to a 70 per cent greater likelihood of having masked hypertension and a 66 per cent greater likelihood of having sustained hypertension- elevated blood pressure readings in and out of a clinical setting.
