Shift Work: Impact of Disrupted Circadian Rhythm on Health: A Review

Authors

  • Harshita Thappar Student, AIMSR , Bathinda, India
  • Navneet Saini Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, AIMSR, Bathinda, India

Keywords:

Circadian, Cardiovascular Diseases, shift workers, disrupted circadian rhythm, blood pressure, anxiety, depression, cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Physical and mental health problems can arise from disruptions in the circadian rhythm. The natural circadian cycle and shift workers schedule frequently conflicts, which can lead to poor sleep, exhaustion, mood swings, and a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses like cancer, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this review is to examine the complex connection between shift employment and circadian rhythm disruption, as well as the ways in which these disruptions lead to different health problems. In this review we will ascertain the mediations that will hypothetically lessen the negative health concerns linked to shift working, we will also look at the principal mechanisms that explain these impacts. Methodology: A systematic review of articles published in various indexed medical journals, between 2014-2024 was taken. We highlighted the impact of disturbed circadian rhythm on health which leads to various life threatening diseases. Result: Our observations specify that disrupted circadian rhythms correlates with elevated blood pressure and 20% higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. Shift workers reported a 50% higher incidence of insomnia compared to day workers. There was reduced cognitive performance during night shift due to misaligned circadian rhythms. Shift workers exhibited 25% more workplace errors during night workers. Discussion: Our conclusion emphasizes the growing burden of shift work-related health issues, particularly as this type of work schedule   becomes prevalent in 24/7 economies. Implementation of forward- rotating shift schedules and optimizing shift duration could reduce circadian misalignment and improve work well-being.   How to cite this article:
Thappar H, Saini N. Shift Work: Impact of
Disrupted Circadian Rhythm on Health: A Review.
Rec Adv Path Lab Med. 2025;11(1&2):19-23.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2454.8642.202504

References

Sciarra F, Franceschini E, Campolo F, Gianfrilli D, Pallotti

F, Paoli D, Isidori AM, Venneri MA. Disruption of

Circadian Rhythms: A Crucial Factor in the Etiology of

Infertility. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

; 21(11):3943

Hou Y, Liu L, Chen X, Li Q, Li J. Association between

circadian disruption and diseases: A narrative review.

Life Sciences. 2020 Dec;262:118512.

Downloads

Published

2025-05-01

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1&2 (2025): Recent Advances in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Section

Review Article

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Recent Advances in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ( ISSN: 2454-8642 )

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

We, the undersigned, give an undertaking to the following effect with regard to our article entitled
“_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________” submitted for publication in (Journal title)________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________Vol.________, Year _________:-

1. The article mentioned above has not been published or submitted to or accepted for publication in any form, in any other journal.

2. We also vouchsafe that the authorship of this article will not be contested by anyone whose name(s) is/are not listed by us here.

3. I/We declare that I/We contributed significantly towards the research study i.e., (a) conception, design and/or analysis and interpretation of data and to (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content and on (c) final approval of the version to be published.

4. I/We hereby acknowledge ADRs conflict of interest policy requirement to scrupulously avoid direct and indirect conflicts of interest and, accordingly, hereby agree to promptly inform the editor or editor's designee of any business, commercial, or other proprietary support, relationships, or interests that I/We may have which relate directly or indirectly to the subject of the work.

5. I/We also agree to the authorship of the article in the following sequence:-

Authors' Names (in sequence) Signature of Authors
1. _____________________________________ _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________ _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________ _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________ _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________ _____________________________________
6. _____________________________________ _____________________________________
7. _____________________________________ _____________________________________
8. _____________________________________ _____________________________________

Important

(I). All the authors are required to sign independently in this form in the sequence given above. In case an author has left the institution/ country and whose whereabouts are not known, the senior author may sign on his/ her behalf taking the responsibility.

(ii). No addition/ deletion/ or any change in the sequence of the authorship will be permissible at a later stage, without valid reasons and permission of the Editor.

(iii). If the authorship is contested at any stage, the article will be either returned or will not be
processed for publication till the issue is solved.