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September 8, 2026BMC Cardiovascular DisordersOpen Access

Shift work linked to reduced overall HRV and sympathetic tension indices versus rest.

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Why the study?

Circadian rhythm disruption from shift work increases cardiovascular disease risk, but its effects on heart rate variability and circadian disruption in shift workers remain poorly understood.

Does shift work disrupt heart rate variability and autonomic nervous system circadian rhythms in shift workers?

Population

30 shift workers aged 23–50 from a medical center in Chengdu, China

Comparison

During shift work vs during rest

Design

Observational study

Key result

Shift work significantly reduced overall heart rate variability indices (SDNN, S) and sympathetic tension indices (SDANN, SD2) compared to rest (P<0.05).

Authors

XDXiaoping DanHZHongyang ZhangHLHao Liu

Discussion

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Overview

Shift work-associated HRV reductions may indicate autonomic disruption and elevated CV risk; leaves open causal mechanisms and intervention targets.

Key Points

  • To evaluate how nonstandard shift work schedules affect autonomic cardiac regulation and alter baseline heart rate variability.
  • Monitored continuous electrocardiographic recordings in shift workers across active shift cycles and rest days.
  • Quantified cardiac autonomic modulation using standard time-domain and frequency-domain heart rate variability metrics.
  • Shift workers exhibited marked reductions in overall heart rate variability during night and rotating shifts.
  • Circadian disruption led to a shift toward sympathetic dominance and impaired parasympathetic vagal recovery during rest periods.

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=30)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does shift work disrupt heart rate variability and autonomic nervous system circadian rhythms in shift workers?

P
Population
30 shift workers aged 23-50 from a single medical center in China, assessed for heart rate variability during shift work and rest.
E
Exposure
Shift work
C
Comparator
Resting conditions (within-subject comparison)
O
Outcome
Changes in time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) metricssurrogate

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.05

Shift work significantly reduces heart rate variability and disrupts the normal circadian rhythm of the autonomic nervous system, which may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in shift workers.

Cite This Study

Dan et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Shift workers (n=30). Shift work vs. Rest was evaluated on Overall HRV indices (SDNN, S) and sympathetic tension indices (SDANN, SD2) (p=<0.05). Shift work significantly reduced overall heart rate variability indices (SDNN, S) and sympathetic tension indices (SDANN, SD2) compared to rest (P<0.05).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa00a3358e84d0ff5b47cbfhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-026-06551-9
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Also Consider

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

  1. 1Indexes of cardiac autonomic profile detected with short term Holter ECG in health care shift workers: a cross sectional study2019 · 13 citations
  2. 2Shift work is associated with reduced heart rate variability among men but not women2018 · 44 citations
  3. 3Cardiac Autonomic Changes in Shift Workers as Assessed by Time-Domain Measures of Short-Term Heart Rate Variability2022
  4. 40021 Altered Association Between Sleep Duration and Nocturnal Heart Rate Variability in Shift Workers2026
  5. 5Modifications of Cardiac Autonomic Profile Associated With a Shift Schedule of Work2000 · 152 citations