Shift work linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/bmj-swl072512.php

Public release date: 26-Jul-2012
Contact: Emma Dickinson
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Shift work linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke
Screening programs could help identify and treat risk factors, say authors

Shift work is associated with an increased risk of major vascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.

This is the largest analysis of shift work and vascular risk to date and has implications for public policy and occupational medicine, say the authors.

Shift work has long been known to disrupt the body clock (circadian rhythm) and is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, but its association with vascular disease is controversial.

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Night shifts were associated with the steepest increase in risk for coronary events (41%). However, shift work was not associated with increased death rates from any cause.