A clinical study revealed that night shift workers can reduce their Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk by limiting meals to daytime hours, even while working at nights.
A Harvard Medical School team, led by Professor Frank Scheer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, published their findings in Nature Communications on Wednesday. Their clinical trial involved 20 young, healthy participants simulating night shifts with controlled meal times to measure CVD risk indicators.
The study revealed that night shift workers who eat only during the day can mitigate cardiovascular risks typically associated with shift work. This suggests meal timing may be more crucial for cardiovascular health than sleep patterns.
While numerous studies have linked shift work to increased Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and other cardiovascular risks, lifestyle and socioeconomic differences don’t fully explain this correlation.
Professor Scheer noted the lack of established strategies to counter circadian misalignment effects from night shifts or jet lag. This study aimed to explore how meal timing impacts CVD risk in shift workers.
The researchers placed participants in a time-blind environment within the clinical trials center for two weeks, monitoring physical changes while controlling meal times and analyzing night shift work effects.
Participants remained awake for 32 hours in dim lighting, maintaining consistent posture and snack intake before simulated night shifts. Some ate during both day and night, while others ate only during daytime hours.
The team measured various cardiovascular risk factors, including autonomic nervous system indicators, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels, and blood pressure, to assess the impact of meal timing and night shifts.
Results showed increased cardiovascular risk factors after night shifts for those eating day and night, while daytime-only eaters maintained stable risk factors throughout.
Lead author and co-corresponding author Professor Sarah Chellappa emphasized that the controlled study environment allowed them to attribute differences in cardiovascular risk factors solely to meal timing, rather than sleep duration or food consumption itself.
While acknowledging the need for further research on long-term effects, the team suggests that adjusting meal timing could improve night shift workers’ health. They recommend avoiding or limiting nighttime meals for those working nights or suffering sleep disorders.