Are night shift workers more prone to cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) damage the heart and blood vessels and are associated with other life-threatening conditions like heart attacks and strokes. It is one of the leading causes of death in the world, states the World Health Organization. While several factors increase of risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, disturbance of the circadian rhythm and sleep cycle is one of the important risks for CVD. These are some of the side effects of night shifts that you need to be aware of.

Side effects of night shifts: How does it increase heart disease risk?

Circadian rhythm is the biological clock of the human body and governs wakefulness during the day and sleep at night. Night shifts adversely affect this clock, with several immediate and long-term consequences. It makes you sleep less, and disrupted sleep cycles can have a major impact on your heart health. Cardiac health suffers highly, and hence the risk of hypertension, cardiac arrests, and heart attacks increases at times when one is supposed to rest.

A night shift worker works outside of standard daylight working hours, typically between 6 pm and 7 am. A 2020 study published in the journal Aging found that poor sleep quality can increase the risk of coronary artery disease. It increases progressively with decreased sleep quality. This habit can lead to a misalignment of the natural circadian rhythm, disrupting the sleep cycle and increasing the risk of coronary artery disease, gastrointestinal issues, breast cancer, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Besides these, health issues like hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy (thickening of the muscle wall of the left ventricle), coronary artery disease, and myocardial infarction, are more common in these individuals.

Other factors that increase heart disease risk in night shift workers

1. Elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels

These workers often experience an increased incidence of non-dipping hypertension, where blood pressure fails to decrease at night. They also tend to have elevated triglycerides and impaired glucose tolerance, contributing to metabolic syndromes.

2. Irregular food patterns

Moreover, some of the irregular food intake patterns that are followed by night shift workers are due to the disruption in appetite hormone ‘Ghrelin’ and satiety hormone ‘Leptin’ which further provoke metabolic syndromes like obesity and diabetes in a person, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease further. Smoking and alcohol consumption are also more common among night-shift workers, further increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

3. Increases atrial fibrillation risk

Women working night shifts may have a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, found a 2021 study published in the European Heart Journal. Women who have worked night shifts for over a decade are particularly susceptible to atrial fibrillation, with a 64 percent higher risk compared to those working day shifts.

How you can avoid the side effects of night shifts?

If you cannot get out of doing a night shift, here are some ways to safeguard yourself from heart disease:

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• Cardiac health can be preserved through an equilibrium diet and avoidance of oily fried foods.
• Stick to proper sleep schedules at least on weekends.
• Exercise regularly every day. The American Heart Association recommends moderate 150 minutes of exercise every week or 75 minutes of intense workout every week.
• Avoid drinking alcohol and practise cessation of smoking, major risk factors of cardiovascular disease.
• Visit your doctor for regular check-ups to avoid the side effects of night shifts.

These simple yet effective ways may help you to improve your overall well-being. If working at night is inevitable, one needs to understand the health risks involved, identified and controlled in the interest of cardiovascular health.