According to a study done by the European Society of Cardiology, people that work the night shift are at a higher risk of suffering from complications due to poor heart health, particularly atrial fibrillation. They are also at a high risk of developing heart disease, and suffering from complications as a result of this disease. Interestingly, these complications did not include stroke and heart attack. People that work night shifts are not at an increased risk of suffering from one of these two catastrophic complications.
Over a quarter million people were looked at in this study, using data from the UK Biobank. And although the study could not create a causal link between night shift work and heart complications, it did show that there is a correlation. Additionally, the research team advised against working the night shift for a prolonged period of time because of this correlation.
Attempting to take factors under control, they found that regular night shift workers had a 12 percent greater risk of suffering atrial fib issues. If they worked the night shift for ten or more years, that increase climbed to 18 percent.
The team recently published their findings in the journal, European Heart Journal. Hopefully, it helps spark future research that can pinpoint why this discrepancy exists, and potentially spur forward more research to help alleviate these symptoms.
Heart problems are not a one time thing. People that suffer from a cardiac event are at a drastically increased risk of suffering from another event. They also are at a high risk of facing prolonged disability, either temporary or permanent. Someone who has suffered from a stroke or heart attack often needs a lot of help with tasks that were once second nature. Getting around the house, preparing meals, bathing and showering, and more can all become monumental tasks, ones that are unsafe or impossible unless they have some sort of assistance. Professional care can become a necessity for individuals in this situation.
Avoiding the night shift altogether isn’t always possible. More than likely, there are other factors that are contributing to poor heart health within night shift workers that were not accounted for in this study. Night shift workers tend to work in industrialized settings and this can lead to lower socioeconomic status and some of the health detriments that go along with this. They might ingest more caffeine or other substances to help, which can also lead to poor health. It’s hard to know just how much of an influence these things had on this study.
Either way, it’s important to know that making healthy choices early in life lead to better outcomes later in life. This is hard to see in the moment, but studies like this provide the evidence that we need to motivate ourselves to continue to make good decisions regarding our health and to help influence those around us.
Regardless of what stage of health you or a loved one might be in, it’s good to have a team of professionals on your side. The sooner you start, the better. Please feel free to let us know how we can help.
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