Work-packages 4: Shift Working

WP4. Investigation of the sodium-water balance in shift workers

PD Dr. Dörthe Schmidt and Prof. Dr. Paolo Suter

As a result of our “24/7 society” the number of shift working people is increasing. Indeed, many of the patients suffering from hypertension or cardiovascular disease are shift workers on different rotating shift patterns. Therefore, shift working can be considered as an important factor associated with the development of resistant hypertension and consequently for the development cardiovascular disease. Several pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association including an increased sympathetic activity, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis with consecutive increased cortisol release, increased leptin release, increased ghrelin levels, and impaired glucose metabolism. In the context of this project, we will explore the risk of hypertension in rotating shift and night-shift workers.