The Effect of Night Shift on Blood Pressure in Healthcare Workers

OBJECTIVE
Individuals of all age groups may suffer elevated blood pressure as a result of a combination of internal and environmental factors. The arterial pressure is influenced by various factors such as diet, stress, sleep patterns, and lifestyle. In this study, we aimed to observe the susceptibility to high blood pressure in occupational groups who work at night.

METHODS
We designed our study with healthcare workers participants who have at least 6 night shifts per month. Participants who did the same job during daylight hours were included in the control group. Any chronic disease or blood pressure-affecting medication excluded participants from the study. Holter recordings were made at least 48 hours and this period included both the free day and the working day for the participants.

RESULTS
A total of 114 participants, 55 of them in the study group, 59 of them were followed as the control group. Statistically significant differences were observed between the daylight-night ratios of the participants' systolic and diastolic pressures (P values respectively, 0,006 and 0,005). Systolic daylight-night difference was -5,7±5.5% in the study group and -9.0±7.0% in the control group. Diastolic daylight-night difference was -7,9±9,6% in the study group and -12,7±8,2% in the control group.

CONCLUSION
Occupations characterized by nighttime work schedules often exhibit non-dipping blood pressure patterns as a consequence of sleep disturbances. It might be crucial to consider the blunted dipping of blood pressure induced by night shift work while assessing and monitoring hypertension and associated medical conditions.