Shiftwork may increase heart disease risks

Shiftwork may lead to an increased risk of heart disease - as well as causing fatigue and disrupting sleep patterns and social life, Dutch scientists say.

They believe working at night puts excess stress on the body, which can cause abnormal heart rhythms and a greater susceptibility to heart attacks and stroke.

A comparative study of 400 people who worked shifts and 400 day-time employees showed that people who worked irregular hours had more abnormal heart beats (or premature ventricular complexes).

"Everybody has them now and then but in the shiftworkers they were more common," said Dr Evert Schouten, an epidemiologist at Wageningen University.

"It may indicate that something is going on in the regulation of the heart by the autonomic nervous system in people who are working shifts."

- REUTERS