According to new research published in the European Heart Journal, night shift workers are at an elevated risk of developing Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). The study also suggested that night shift work is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, but not stroke or heart failure.
Also watch: A-Fib: All you need to know about this fatal heart disorder
For the study, researchers analysed 286,353 salaried or self-employed participants from the UK Biobank database. The team adjusted their analyses for factors affecting the results, such as age, physical exercise, diet, body mass index, blood pressure and sleep duration. During a follow-up period of 10.4 years, 5,777 cases of AFib were reported.
As per the findings, people who worked night shifts on a temporary basis had a 12% increased risk of AFib compared to people who worked during the day. The risk increased to 18% for those who had a lifetime duration of night shifts. Researchers also found that women are more susceptible to AFib than men when working night shifts for more than ten years. Their risk increased by 64% compared to day workers.
Also watch: 'Burnout Breaks': A company's new way to help workers fight stress