A recent study has found that individuals who work over 60 hours per week are nearly twice as likely to develop hypothyroidism compared to those who work 36 hours per week.
Hypothyroidism is a condition where the body’s metabolism is affected due to insufficient secretion of thyroid hormones, leading to a decline in bodily functions. Symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, and decreased concentration.
According to the international academic journal Epidemiology and Health on February 5, a research team led by Professor Lee Won Cheol from the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital analyzed the working hours and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels of 45,259 office workers who underwent health examinations at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital from January 2012 to December 2017.
The study measured the risk of hypothyroidism based on individuals working 36 to 40 hours per week.
The results showed that the risk of developing hypothyroidism increased by 13% (HR 1.13; CI 1.03~1.24) for those working 41 to 52 hours per week, 153% (HR 2.53, CI 2.17~2.95) for those working 53 to 60 hours, and 157% (HR 2.57, CI 2.09~3.15) for those working more than 60 hours per week.
In additional research, the team found that the risk of developing hypothyroidism was higher in the group aged 36 and above, males, and daytime workers.
The researchers analyzed that long working hours induce work-related stress, which in turn triggers hypothyroidism.
Chronic stress activates the sympathetic nervous system through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and stimulates the release of stress hormones like cortisol. If the HPA axis remains active due to stress, hormonal disorders can result, leading to hypothyroidism due to imbalances in thyroid hormones.
The research team commented, “Long hours of labor are associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and lack of physical activity, which can lead to hypothyroidism. This study is the first to demonstrate a temporal association between long working hours and the development of hypothyroidism.”
Meanwhile, this study’s results were published in the latest issue of the international academic journal Epidemiology and Health.