Increase in Abnormal Heart Rhythms in Shift Workers

Sept. 12, 2001
Shiftwork increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, according to research. These\r\nchanges may help to explain why shiftworkers are susceptible to heart\r\ndisease.

Shiftwork increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, shows research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. These changes may help to explain why shiftworkers are susceptible to heart disease.

Doctors measured changes in heartbeat and variations in heart rate in 49 employees working shifts, including nights, and 22 employees working normal day hours.

All the employees were newly in post, and the measurements were taken between one week and two months after starting the new job and again after they had been in post for 12 months. The ages of the workers ranged from 18 to 55.

Abnormalities in heart rhythm were measured from changes in premature ventricular complexes (PVC), a term used when an irregular heartbeat occurs earlier than normal.

After one year, there were slight unfavorable changes in heart rate variability among both sets of workers. But the rate of PVC was significantly higher among the shiftworkers.

Almost twice as many of them had developed this irregularity, the risk of which increased according to the number of night shifts worked.

The results held true even after taking into account factors likely to skew the results, such as smoking habit, coffee and alcohol consumption, weight changes, age and sex and job stress.

The authors suggest that working at night may be a chronic stressor for the body.

Other research has indicated that premature complexes occur in animals exposed to stress, and in people who are stressed and tired.

They concluded that the increased frequency of early heartbeat patterns might be a factor in the higher risk of heart disease among shiftworkers.

by Virginia Foran

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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