Why the study?
Assessing the early impact of shift work-related circadian rhythm desynchronization and stress on cardiac autonomic modulation via heart rate variability in healthcare workers is an important occupational health objective.
Does shift work reduce heart rate variability in healthcare workers?
Population
42 healthcare workers (31 nurses and 11 physicians) aged 24-58 years of an Italian Hospital
Comparison
3-shift forward fast rotation vs fixed daytime shift
Design
Cross-sectional study
Key result
Shift work was associated with significantly lower SDaNN values compared to fixed daytime work (50.80 ms vs 66.71 ms, p=0.014), suggesting altered cardiac autonomic modulation.
Authors
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Shift work may signal early autonomic changes in healthcare workers; hypothesis-generating for CV risk and requires prospective validation.
Cross-Sectional (n=42)
No
Does shift work reduce heart rate variability in healthcare workers?
Absolute Event Rate: 50.8% vs 66.71%
p-value: p=0.014
Shift work in healthcare workers is associated with reduced short-term heart rate variability (SDaNN), suggesting early alterations in cardiac autonomic control.
Lecca et al. (2019) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy health care workers (n=42). Shift work (forward fast rotating schedule) vs. Fixed daytime shift (8 am - 2 pm) was evaluated on Standard deviation of the average NN intervals in 5-minute segments (SDaNN) (p=0.014). Shift work was associated with significantly lower SDaNN values compared to fixed daytime work (50.80 ms vs 66.71 ms, p=0.014), suggesting altered cardiac autonomic modulation.
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