Women working the night shift: risk of asthma higher

Women who work night shifts are at higher risk of moderate and severe asthma than daytime workers, according to a large British study. The authors suggest that this association could be linked to disruptions in the circadian clock and its possible effects on hormone regulation and inflammatory mechanisms.The study, published in European Respiratory Journal Open Research, was based on data from 274,541 working women aged 40 to 69 who were registered in the UK Biobank biomedical database. Among them, 13,589 (5.3%) had asthma, including 4,549 (1.9%) with moderate or severe asthma. Statistical analyses were based on logistic regression models adjusted for demographic and lifestyle factors.Compared to daytime workers, those working exclusively at night had an approximately 1.5 times higher risk of moderate to severe asthma (95% CI 1.18-1.91). This association was not observed in men (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.72-1.26).Potential role of hormonesAsthma symptoms, which are linked in particular to inflammation of the airways, tend to worsen at night. Biological clocks regulate a multitude of physiological processes, including hormone secretion and inflammatory responses. According to the authors, the association between night work and asthma could be linked to disruptions in the circadian rhythm, which could alter the production of sex hormones. It is known that women suffer from more severe and difficult-to-control asthma than men. In women, the prevalence of asthma is associated with hormonal fluctuations related to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of the disease.Furthermore, the study results indicate that the risk of moderate or severe asthma was nearly double (OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.24–2.87) in postmenopausal women not receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Similarly, participants who had undergone a hysterectomy also had a higher risk than premenopausal women. Public health issueHowever, this risk was not found in those taking hormone therapy, which could indicate a potential protective effect. Given the small size of the subgroups, these results will need to be confirmed by further studies.“We hope that our findings will encourage healthcare professionals to consider the health risks associated with night work, particularly for asthma,” wrote lead author Dr. Robert J. Maidstone in an email to Profession Santé, part of canadianhealthcarenetwork.com. “We hope that these findings will lead policymakers and employers to take into account the additional risks to which night workers are exposed.”The researchers plan to continue their work on the link between night work and asthma in women with prospective studies.

Women working the night shift: risk of asthma higher

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