Working overtime causes depression

People who are used to work long hours every day are at a considerable greater risk of developing major depression, new findings suggest.

Researchers who followed 2,000 middle-aged British civil servants for nearly six years have found new evidence showing negative effects of overwork. 

According to an article in the journal PLoS One, individuals who work for 11 or more hours a day are more than twice as likely to suffer depression as those working between 5 to 9 hours. 

“Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognize working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression,” warned Dr. Marianna Virtanen and colleagues of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. 

The study suggested that some unstudied factors such as work-family conflicts, prolonged the increase in stress hormone levels. 

Previous investigations had also linked long hour working especially night shift jobs and workplace stress with cardiovascular disease, cancer, family problems and mental disorders such as depression. 

The world health organization (WHO) had predicted that the number of individuals affected with depressive syndromes globally would become higher than any other health problem by 2030. 

The condition is reported to be more common in poor and developing countries. In rich countries, similarly, the silent epidemic affects poor individuals more frequently than affluent 

A new study conducted at the University of Western Australia say drinking black tea throughout the day can slightly reduce blood pressure.

A new study conducted at the University of Western Australia say drinking black tea throughout the day can slightly reduce blood pressure.

Scientists randomly assigned 95 Australians with normal blood pressure to either drink black tea 3 times a day or a placebo beverage with a similar taste and caffeine level. 

After 6 months, the tea drinkers showed a 2mm Hg reduction in their systolic blood pressure- the top number- and 2 mm Hg drop in their diastolic blood pressure. 

The placebo drinkers, however, experienced a 1 mm Hg raise in the diastolic and 0.5 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure. 

While a decrease in blood pressure is considered a beneficent effect, the recorded amount was very low and not sufficient enough to control high blood pressure in patients who are not under medical treatment. 

“The message really isn't for an individual to go out and drink a lot of tea,” said senior researcher Jonathan Hodgson who suggested people with hypertension to take the benefit just as a bonus. 

Since the number of the studied people was very small for the study, researchers said future investigations may provide better results about benefits of black tea for reducing high blood pressure.

Ayatullah Khatami: Vikwazo vya EU haviwezi kuvuruga uchumi wa Iran

Khatibu wa muda wa Sala ya Ijumaa hapa mjini Tehran amesema leo kuwa, vikwazo vya upande mmoja vya Umoja wa Ulaya (EU) dhidi ya Iran vinalenga kuchachawiza uchaguzi wa bunge unaotarajiwa kufanyika mwezi Machi mwaka huu lakini hilo halitawezekana. Ayatullah Ahmad Khatami amesema vikazo hivyo vya EU ambavyo lengo lake lingine ni kulemaza uchumi wa Iran, vitaambulia patupu kwa uchumi wa taifa hili umejengeka juu ya misingi thabiti na imara. Khatibu wa muda wa Sala ya Ijumaa hapa Tehran amesisitiza kuwa miamala kama hiyo ya kijuba haitakuwa na natija yoyote kwa Wamagharibi ghairi ya kulemaza chumi zao wenyewe.

'Iran will stop EU oil exports this week'

A senior Iranian lawmaker says Majlis (parliament) will discuss a bill in the coming week which seeks to cut off Iran's oil exports to Europe.

Deputy head of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Hossein Ebrahimi said on Friday that Iranian lawmakers would debate a “double-urgency” bill on Sunday which calls for the ban of oil exports to Europe as early as next week. 

The move comes after EU foreign ministers reached an agreement in Brussels on Monday to impose sanctions on oil imports from Iran as of July 1. The sanctions involve an immediate ban on all new oil contracts with the Islamic Republic and freezing the assets of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) within the EU. 

The Majlis motion would deny Europe the six-month phase-in period that the bloc has considered to adjust and find alternative sources to Iran's crude. 

The recent EU sanctions on Iranian oil are merely a “psychological warfare,” as the 27-member bloc is delaying the implementation of the embargoes under various pretexts, Ebrahimi added.

“Europe is uncertain about enforcing these sanctions and seeks to project [its own woes] and manipulate public opinion,” the lawmaker said. 

The EU accounted for 18 percent of Iranian crude oil sales in the first half of 2011, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), making it Iran's second biggest customer after China. 

The EU sanctions came after US President Barack Obama signed into law fresh unilateral economic embargoes against the Central Bank of Iran on New Year's Eve in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution. The bill ultimately takes aim at Iran's oil revenue. 

The United States, Israel and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program and have used this pretext to push for the imposition of four rounds of UN sanctions and a series of unilateral embargoes against the Islamic Republic. 

Iran has refuted the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to use nuclear technology for peaceful use.