| |
Cardiovascular Health Centre
Research |
Working and Heart Disease
Years of working shifts may increase women's risk of coronary heart disease. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health compared lifestyle and health factors in two groups of nurses:
- 47,000 who worked shifts (at least three nights a month, plus days and evenings); and
- 32,000 who had never worked shifts.
Women who worked shifts for six years or more had a 50 percent higher risk of heart attack than those who had never worked shifts. One theory for this difference is that shift work, which disrupts sleeping, eating and other patterns, may place extra stress on the cardiovascular system. Women who worked shifts had higher rates of smoking and hypertension, and weighed more than those who worked regular hours.
Source: Circulation, December 1995; Women's Health Matters, April 1996
Back to index
|
|
