Do you work long hours? You may be at a risk of heart disease!

New Delhi: Different professions across the globe require people to work odd, sometimes bizarre hours.

Various studies have shown and we're sure you have felt it too that long working hours often tend to cause an imbalance within your system and lead to health issues, whether or not you are already suffering from a disease.

Even though some may feel comfortable with them, your health is ultimately bearing the brunt of the changes in your body-clock and lifestyle.

Echoing previous studies, a new study has emphasised the negative effects of working long hours, saying that those who work long hours on a regular basis have a higher risk of heart disease.

Researchers discovered that long working hours is linked to atrial fibrillation, the Metro reported. It is a condition which causes the heart to pace abnormally or at an irregular rate. If the condition worsens it can cause a stroke or even heart failure, the report warned.

As per the Deccan Chronicle, the research team examined 85,000 people who did not have atrial fibrillation. They found that 1,000 participants developed the condition within 10 years. Those "working more than 55 hours a week" were more likely to develop the condition.

"We showed that employees working long hours were 40% more likely to develop this cardiac arrhythmia than those working standard hours,” the study's team is quoted is saying by the Metro.

Working long hours has previously been associated with depression, anxiety, obesity and excessive alcohol consumption.

Heart disease is becoming a growing issue in India as a recent report revealed that it is striking Indians at an earlier age than before and researchers are trying to understand why this condition develops in people who work regular long hours, Deccan Chronicle reported.

The study was published in the journal European Heart Journal.