Objective: This cross-sectional study assesses cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in industrial rotating night shift and day workers.
Methods: We examined 27 day workers; 40 night shift workers with high and 34 with low night loads. We assessed sleep, blood pressure (BP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipids, focusing on inflammatory markers, and adipokines.
Results: High load night shift workers had higher inflammation and lower adiponectin level compared to other shift workers and day workers. Night shifts of 8 and 12 hours shortened sleep. Number of night shifts was positively associated with inflammatory markers and negatively associated with adiponectin.
Conclusions: Night shift work is associated with CVD risk factors. Shift schedules with fewer night shifts and longer recovery periods could mitigate it.