VICDOC Summer 2023 - Magazine - Page 7
R ES E A RC H
SLEEP LENGTH
AND SHIFT WORK
SEND BLOOD
PRESSURE RISING
-
sleep lengths, daytime
S hort
napping and even long sleep
lengths have been linked to
an increased risk of elevated blood
pressure and cardiovascular disease,
a new study out of the Baker Heart
and Diabetes Institute has found.
Using data from the UK Biobank,
the study, published in Nature
Communications, is the first study to
demonstrate that independent of other
factors including age, sex and BMI,
circadian rhythm-disrupting behaviours,
including shift work, have an adverse
effect on blood pressure regulation.
“We found that compromised sleep
health or nightshift work are associated
with elevated blood pressure in both
males and females and across all age
groups,” study lead and Baker Institute
Cardiovascular Endocrinology lab Head
Associate Professor Morag Young said.
“What we’ve found is that having
circadian rhythms out of sync even
slightly has an adverse impact on
blood pressure.”
The study found that permanent
night shift workers who slept less than
five or six hours were most at risk, but
those working mixed shifts also showed
elevated blood pressure. Interestingly,
sleeping for too long a period also
had a disruptive effect on circadian
rhythms, A/Prof Young said.
“Seven hours of sleep was found
to be the optimal length of sleep for
maintaining healthy blood pressure,”
A/Prof Young said. “We found that too
little sleep (less than six hours) and
too much sleep (anything more than
eight hours) for adults also had a
negative impact.
“Permanent night shift workers
showed the greatest elevation in blood
pressure, but those people working
rotating shifts also showed elevated
levels, although not as significant as
permanent night shift workers.
“This research shows that on
top of those traditional lifestyle
factors, including diet, exercise and
alcohol consumption, shift work and
inappropriate sleep length are factors
that impact blood pressure.
“Maintaining appropriate sleep
lengths and sleep behaviours could
be an additional way to reduce the
risk of developing hypertension,
particularly in shift workers.”
Click here to email
Catherine Butterf ield
from the Baker Heart
and Diabetes Institute
VI CD O C SU M M ER 202 3
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