Ad Agency Employee, 24, Dies From A Heart Attack

There's ample evidence that stress and overwork are a toxic brew, leading to a host of possible illnesses, including heart disease. Still, it was shocking when an Ogilvy & Mather advertising employee in Beijiing collapsed at his desk Monday, and was later pronounced dead due to sudden cardiac arrest. After all, Li Yuan -- also known as Gabriel Li -- was just 24 years old.

Local news outlets in China immediately reported that Yuan (pictured above) died of "overwork," saying that he'd been putting in long hours in the month prior to his death, "not leaving the office until 11 p.m." But Ogilvy & Mather reps insisted that wasn't the case. In an English translation of a Beijiing Times article, sent by the advertising agency to Business Insider, Ogilvy & Mather contended that Li hadn't worked any overtime in the prior month. In fact, his supervisor said, Li had taken a week off due to a mysterious, still-undiagnosed stomach ailment. At the time of his attack, he reportedly was waiting for a relative to arrive at the office to accompany him for additional medical tests.