A Cease in Shift Work Reverses Arterial Stiffness but Increases Weight and Glycosylated Hemoglobin A 5-Month Follow-Up in Industry

Background: Literature suggests an association between shift work and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Limited evidence is available on how a cessation of shift work affects CVD risk factors.

Aim: We investigated whether a five-month plant shutdown affected CVD risk factors in 30 industrial shift workers.

Methods: We collected demographic data, self-reported data on physical activity (PA) and medical history by questionnaire. Pre- and post-plant shutdown, we measured blood pressure (BP), heart rate, lipids, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Additionally, we collected markers of inflammation, Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), P-selectin, Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and Interleukin-23 (IL-23). We also examined arterial stiffness (central blood pressure, augmentation pressure, and pulse wave velocity) by means of SphygmoCor (AtCor Medical Pty Ltd., Sydney, Australia). We monitored sleep by actigraphy prior to and after plant shutdown, with additional registration of sleep quality and assessment of insomnia symptoms.

Results: After five months of plant shutdown, we found that HbA1c increased by 1.9 mmol/mol, weight by 1 kg and MCP-1 by 27.3 pg/mL, all unexpectedly. The other markers of inflammation did not change during shutdown, but CRP decreased close to significant levels. There were no changes in lipids during follow-up. Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) was reduced from 8.1 m/s (SD = 1.5) to 7.6 m/s (SD = 1.5), = 0.03. The workers reported fewer signs of insomnia after shutdown.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a five-month cessation in shift work increases weight and HbA1c, but also improves insomnia symptoms and reverses arterial stiffening.