Working the Night Shift Causes Increased Vascular Stress and Delayed Recovery in Young Women

Abstract

Shiftwork has been associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and decreased heart-rate variability (HRV), factors that may increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular-related mortality and morbidity. This study explored the effect of shiftwork on dynamic changes in autonomic control of HRV (cardiac stress), systolic BP and diastolic BP, i.e., SBP and DBP (vascular stress), and recovery in the same subjects working different shifts. By studying the same subjects, the authors could reduce the effect of possible contribution of between-subject variation from genetic predisposition and environmental factors. The authors recruited 16 young female nurses working rotating shifts—day (08:00–16:00 h), evening (16:00–00:00 h), and night (00:00–08:00 h)—and 6 others working the regular day shift. Each nurse received simultaneous and repeated 48-h ambulatory electrocardiography and BP monitoring during their work day and the following off-duty day. Using a linear mixed-effect model to adjust for day shift, the results of the repeated-measurements and self-comparisons found significant shift differences in vascular stress. While working the night shift, the nurses showed significant increases in vascular stress, with increased SBP of 9.7 mm Hg. The changes of SBP and DBP seemed to peak during waking time at the same time on the day off as they did on the working day. Whereas HRV profiles usually returned to baseline level after each shift, the SBP and DBP of night-shift workers did not completely return to baseline levels the following off-duty day (p < .001). The authors concluded that although the nurses may recover from cardiac stress the first day off following a night shift, they do not completely recover from increases in vascular stress on that day. (Author correspondence: jdwang@ntu.edu.tw)

The Relationship of Stroke and Sleep-A Review

“…Gece vardiyası çalışması anlamlı stresle ilişkilidir ve endojen nokturnal kan basıncı düşüşünü engeller. Nokturnal kan basıncı yükselir ve bu durum ertesi güne kadar devam eder (77). Seksen binden fazla kadın hemşirenin yer aldığı bir kohort çalışması, gece vardiyasında çalışmanın, vasküler risk faktörlerini kontrol ettikten sonra, her beş yılda %4 oranında artmış iskemik inme riski ile ilişkili olduğunu bildirmiştir (78).…”

Effectiveness of Antihypertension Therapy in Patients With Arterial Hypertension Working in Far North

“…Усло-вия труда на предприятиях нефтегазодобывающего ком-плекса связаны с непрерывным производством, то есть с ночными сменами. В ряде работ при СМАД установ-лены более высокие показатели АД, особенно систоли-ческого, во время работы в ночные смены в сравнении с дневными [16]. Работа в ночную смену является столь значимым фактором риска развития АГ, что превосходит такие факторы как возраст и ожирение [17].…”

Nutritional Modulators of Sleep Disorders

“…The data suggest an average 50% excess risk for CAD among employees with work stress. Lo et al, from Taiwan reported that shift-work may be associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and decreased heart rate variability (HRV) [16]. This study explored the effect of shift-work on dynamic changes in autonomic control of HRV (cardiac stress), systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, (vascular stress), and recovery in the same subjects working different shifts.…”

“…These rhythms appear to have independent influence on the function of the endocrine system, circadian brain function and gastrointestinal tract [2-6, 8, 9, 11-15]. Insufficient sleep and its poor quality due to shift work interfere with beta cells functioning resulting in to risk factors for the development and exacerbation of insulin resistance [9][10][11][12][13]16]. Sleep disorders may cause increases in appetite, polyphasia leading to adiposity [8,15].…”

“…Apart from these factors, diet and lifestyle factors of the populations and other characteristics of the workplace where they work and live, such as work design, organization, management, and their societal contexts appear to be important in the pathogenesis of NCDs [1][2][3][4][5]. In this connection, shift work altering the circadian rhythm of sleep, appears to be an important occupational factor that has potential health implications [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Shift work indicating disturbance in sleep rhythm, can be classified in one of two ways.…”