Shift Work Is Not Associated with High Blood Pressure or Prevalence of Hypertension

作者：Sfreddo Carla^*; Fuchs Sandra Costa; Merlo Alvaro Roberto; Fuchs Flavio Danni

来源：PLos One, 2010, 5(12): e15250.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0015250

Background: Working mostly at night has been suggested to be associated with upset of chronobiological rhythms and high blood pressure, but the evidence from epidemiological studies is weak.
Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, we evaluated the association between shift work and blood pressure, pre-hypertension and hypertension. In total, 493 nurses, nurse technicians and assistants, were selected at random in a large general hospital setting. Hypertension was diagnosed by the mean of four automatic blood pressure readings >= 140/90 mmHg or use of blood pressure lowering agents, and pre-hypertension by systolic blood pressure >= 120-139 or diastolic blood pressure >= 80-89 mmHg. Risk factors for hypertension were evaluated by a standardized questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. The association between the shift of work and blood pressure, pre-hypertension and hypertension was explored using univariate and multivariate analyses that controlled for risk factors for hypertension by covariance analysis and modified Poisson regression.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 34.3 +/- 69.4 years and 88.2% were women. Night shift workers were older, more frequently married or divorced, and less educated. The prevalence of hypertension in the whole sample was 16%, and 28% had pre-hypertension. Blood pressure (after adjustment for confounding) was not different in day and night shift workers. The prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension by shift work was not different in the univariate analysis and after adjustment for confounding (all risk ratios = 1.0).
Conclusion: Night shift work did not increase blood pressure and was not associated with hypertension or pre-hypertension in nursing personnel working in a large general hospital.

• 出版日期2010-12-14