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September 8, 2026BMC Cardiovascular DisordersOpen Access

Shift work linked to reduced overall HRV and sympathetic tension indices versus rest.

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Why the study?

Does shift work disrupt heart rate variability and autonomic nervous system circadian rhythms in shift workers?

Population

30 shift workers aged 23–50 from a medical center in Chengdu, China

Comparison

Shift work vs Resting conditions (within-subject comparison)

Design

Cohort

Follow-up

24 hours

Key result

Shift work significantly reduced overall heart rate variability indices (SDNN, S) and sympathetic tension indices (SDANN, SD2) compared to rest (P<0.05).

Authors

XDXiaoping DanHZHongyang ZhangHLHao Liu

Discussion

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Overview

Shift work-associated HRV reductions may indicate autonomic disruption and elevated CV risk; leaves open causal mechanisms and intervention targets.

Key Points

  • To evaluate how nonstandard shift work schedules affect autonomic cardiac regulation and alter baseline heart rate variability.
  • Monitored continuous electrocardiographic recordings in shift workers across active shift cycles and rest days.
  • Quantified cardiac autonomic modulation using standard time-domain and frequency-domain heart rate variability metrics.
  • Shift workers exhibited marked reductions in overall heart rate variability during night and rotating shifts.
  • Circadian disruption led to a shift toward sympathetic dominance and impaired parasympathetic vagal recovery during rest periods.

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=30)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does shift work disrupt heart rate variability and autonomic nervous system circadian rhythms in shift workers?

P
Population
30 shift workers aged 23-50 from a single medical center in China, assessed for heart rate variability during shift work and rest.
E
Exposure
Shift work
C
Comparator
Resting conditions (within-subject comparison)
O
Outcome
Changes in time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) metricssurrogate

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.05

Shift work significantly reduces heart rate variability and disrupts the normal circadian rhythm of the autonomic nervous system, which may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in shift workers.

Cite This Study

Dan et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Shift workers (n=30). Shift work vs. Rest was evaluated on Overall HRV indices (SDNN, S) and sympathetic tension indices (SDANN, SD2) (p=<0.05). Shift work significantly reduced overall heart rate variability indices (SDNN, S) and sympathetic tension indices (SDANN, SD2) compared to rest (P<0.05).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa00a3358e84d0ff5b47cbfhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-026-06551-9
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Analytical study examining hypertension and arrhythmia among shift workers in healthcare2025
  2. 2Elevated cardiometabolic risk markers in evening chronotype shift workers: a case-control study in male workers2025
  3. 3Rotating shift work, with night shift work, affects cardiovascular risk factors: a 6-year follow-up study in the insulation industry2025
  4. 4Effects of sleep deprivation on heart rate variability: a systematic review and meta-analysis2025 · 23 citations
  5. 5Associations between shift work arrangements, sleep characteristics, urinary cortisol and melatonin levels among nurses in Hong Kong2025 · 3 citations