Employees working staggered hours have an increased risk of severe stroke. The after-effects of this stroke are also more serious.
Employees working shift schedules or at night have an increased risk of severe cerebrovascular accident (stroke), according to an American study published this Thursday in the scientific journal Endocrinology.
“The body is synchronized with the day / night rhythm thanks to the circadian rhythm. These 24-hour cycles are controlled by the biological clock which tells you when to sleep, to eat, and when to trigger certain major physiological mechanisms, ”explains David Earnest, professor in the department of neurosciences and experimental therapies at the university’s medical school. from Texas.
“Employees with staggered hours, especially those doing shift work, disrupt their body clocks by having irregular sleeping or eating schedules. “
It is precisely these frequent changes in bedtime and waking hours that have a major impact on health. Accelerated cognitive decline, obesity, diabetes, cancer… Numerous studies have highlighted the negative effects of this division of work on health.
This recent study led by Prof. David Earnest adds to this long list an increased risk of ischemic stroke, a stroke linked to the obstruction of an artery by a blood clot.
More serious sequelae in males
To reach this conclusion, the Texan team studied an animal model forced to stay awake at night and a control group that lived according to their biological rhythm. They then observed that guinea pigs active at night were victims of more severe stroke than the others, both in terms of brain damage but also the loss of sensation and movement in the limbs.
In addition, the researchers noted that the sequelae of stroke were greater in males than females subjected to the same rates of labor. “This difference may be related to reproductive hormones. Young women are less likely to have a stroke than young men, but when they do, the effects are less severe. This protection is attributed to estrogens, ”explains Prof. Farida Sohrabji, from the Department of Neurosciences and Experimental Therapies (1).
As we age, the production of this female hormone decreases, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.
Although this work has been carried out in animals, the researchers believe it has a direct implication for humans. Indeed, they suggest that employees working staggered hours should benefit from regular and frequent monitoring in order to prevent the onset of arterial hypertension or obesity, risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The authors also invite workers on atypical schedules to adopt a healthy and balanced diet – and if possible regular meal times -, to do physical activity and to avoid smoking.
(1) Also director of the neuroscience program for women’s health
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