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October 17, 2000Circulation

Lower values of LF(nu) and LF/HF were present when the job task was performed at night compared with morning and evening shifts, suggesting reduced cardiac sympathetic modulation.

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Why the study?

Does working a night shift compared to morning/evening shifts alter cardiac autonomic control in healthy male shift workers?

Population

22 healthy male blue-collar shift workers

Comparison

Working different shift schedules vs Comparison between the different shift schedules

Design

Cross-sectional

Follow-up

24 hours per shift

Authors

RFRaffaello FurlanFBFranca BarbicSPS. Piazza

Discussion

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Overview

Night shifts were associated with reduced sympathetic modulation; hypothesis-generating for links to sleepiness, errors, and cardiovascular risk, needing prospective confirmation.

Key Points

  • To determine whether shift work schedules disrupt the 24-hour oscillatory patterns of cardiac autonomic control relative to work-sleep cycles.
  • Evaluated 22 healthy male blue-collar shift workers undergoing 24-hour ambulatory ECG recordings during three distinct work shifts: morning (6 AM–2 PM), evening (2–10 PM), and night (10 PM–6 AM).
  • Applied spectral analysis of 24-hour heart rate variability to assess normalized markers of cardiac sympathetic modulation (LF(nu)), vagal modulation (HF(nu)), and sympathovagal balance (LF/HF).
  • LF(nu) and LF/HF exhibited distinct 24-hour oscillations, with peak and trough times shifting corresponding to actual working and sleeping hours.
  • Night work produced lower LF(nu) and LF/HF values compared with morning and evening work, indicating reduced cardiac sympathetic modulation during nocturnal job tasks.

Structured PICO

Does working a night shift compared to morning/evening shifts alter cardiac autonomic control in healthy male shift workers?

P
Population
22 healthy male blue-collar shift workers
I
Intervention
Working different shift schedules (first: 6 AM to 2 PM; second: 2 to 10 PM; third: 10 PM to 6 AM)
C
Comparator
Comparison between the different shift schedules (night vs morning/evening)
O
Outcome
Normalized markers of cardiac sympathetic (LF(nu)) and vagal (HF(nu)) modulation and sympathovagal balance (LF/HF) measured by 24-hour ECG spectral analysis of heart rate variabilitysurrogate

Night shift work is associated with reduced cardiac sympathetic modulation, which may relate to sleepiness and facilitate errors, while continuous weekly changes in autonomic control may contribute to cardiovascular disease risk.

Cite This Study

Furlan et al. (2000) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a7632e7f1e99ff85ab2453ehttps://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.102.16.1912
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Shift work disrupts heart rate variability in shift workers2026
  2. 2Shift work is associated with reduced heart rate variability among men but not women2018 · 44 citations
  3. 3Indexes of cardiac autonomic profile detected with short term Holter ECG in health care shift workers: a cross sectional study2019 · 13 citations
  4. 4Cardiac autonomic activity during simulated shift work2018 · 29 citations
  5. 5Cardiac Autonomic Changes in Shift Workers as Assessed by Time-Domain Measures of Short-Term Heart Rate Variability2022