Cardiovascular Risks For Shift Workers May Be Increased By Stress Hormones

A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that shift work at a young age is associated with elevated long-term cortisol levels and increased BMI. Previous studies have shown that long-term elevated cortisol levels lead to increased abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

Shift work, defined as work performed primarily outside standard working hours, has been associated with increased incidences of obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance, ultimately leading to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. This is the first study that shows that working in shifts leads to changes in long-term cortisol levels, suggesting that the stress hormone cortisol might be one of the factors contributing to the increased cardiovascular risks of shift workers.

"Our findings show that cortisol might play an important part in the development of obesity and increased cardiovascular risk for those working in shifts," said Laura Manenschijn, MD, of Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and lead author of the study. "Unraveling the role of cortisol in the health problems found in shift workers could result in new approaches to prevent cardiovascular damage in this specific group."

In this study, researchers collected hair samples from 33 shift workers and 89 day workers. Cortisol was extracted from the hair samples with methanol. Cortisol levels were measured using an ELISA cortisol kit, a diagnostic tool used to detect cortisol concentrations in saliva. Researchers found that long-term cortisol levels were significantly increased in individuals working in shifts, especially in study participants younger than 40 years.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our obesity / weight loss / fitness section for the latest news on this subject. Other researchers working on the study include Rulanda van Kruysbergen of Arbo Unie Nijverdal in The Netherlands and Frank de Jong, Jan Koper and Elisabeth van Rossum of Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The article, "Shift work at young age is associated with elevated long-term cortisol levels and body mass index," appears in the November 2011 issue of JCEM.
The Endocrine Society Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

The Endocrine Society. "Cardiovascular Risks For Shift Workers May Be Increased By Stress Hormones." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 5 Oct. 2011. Web.
13 Oct. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here