title: Atherosclerotic risk and social jetlag in rotating shift-workers: first evidence from a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify atherosclerotic risk using pulse wave velocity (PWV) in steel workers employed in different shift-work rotations, and to elucidate its relationship to social jetlag and shift schedule details.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male workers in a steel factory (n=77, 32 fast clockwise (CW), 30 slow counterclockwise (CC), 15 day workers (DW); mean age 42 ± SD 7.6 yrs) with at least 5 years of experience in their current work schedule participated.
  
  
  METHODS
  All workers completed questionnaires on demographics, health, psychotropic agents, sleep, social and work life, social jetlag (difference between mid-sleep time on workdays and days off used as a marker of circadian disruption) and chronotype (mid-sleep time on free days corrected for sleep deficit on workdays). In 63 workers we measured PWV, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) between 08:00 and 12:30 h in controlled posture conditions (no caffeine/smoking/exercise).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in PWV (covariates: age, BP) between the different shift-rotations (CW, CC and DW). In all workers combined, HR and social jetlag were significantly positively correlated. Demographic variables did not differ between shift-workers and day workers; shift-workers (CW, CC) reported significantly more stomach upsets, digestion problems, weight fluctuations, and social jetlag. The CW and CC workers did not differ in ratings of how shift-work affected sleep, social and work life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PWV was not different between the two shift-rotations. This pilot study shows first evidence that HR is related to social jetlag, and therefore warrants more studies in different shift schedules.
authors: Centre for Chronobiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Kantermann
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Duboutay
authors: Damien
authors: D
authors: Haubruge
authors: Myriam
authors: M
authors: Kerkhofs
authors: Arno
authors: A
authors: Schmidt-Trucksäss
authors: Debra J
authors: DJ
authors: Skene
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D021081:Chronobiology Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Arterial stiffness; chronotype; clockwise; counterclockwise; pulse wave velocity; stress