Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2025

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
08:36

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Published on: August 8, 2019

11.9K

Understanding the mechanistic interlink between circadian misalignment and heart disease in night shift workers:

Jad Bou Serhal1, Mohammad Fayyad-Kazan2, Colette S Kabrita3,4

  • 1Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut, Lebanon.

Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
|February 18, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, especially in older adults. This review examines molecular links between disrupted biological rhythms and heart health, focusing on clock genes and cardiac biomarkers.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular physiology and chronobiology.
  • Molecular mechanisms of circadian disruption and heart disease.

Background:

  • Rotating and night shift work are associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality, particularly in older workers.
  • Circadian misalignment from atypical work schedules disrupts neuroendocrine pathways regulating cardiovascular function, potentially causing myocardial damage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review molecular mechanisms linking disrupted biological rhythms to heart health.
  • To investigate the role of core clock genes, such as BMAL1, and cardiac biomarkers like troponin I (cTnI) in shift work-related CVD.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review assessing molecular mechanisms.
  • Focus on proteomic and transcriptomic disruptions.
  • Examination of central and myocardial oscillators.

Main Results:

  • Circadian misalignment contributes to cognitive decline, metabolic dysfunction, and immune disruption, all elevating CVD risk.
  • BMAL1 dysfunction is linked to hypertension, arrhythmias, and myocardial injury.
  • Disrupted sleep affects clock gene expression, impacting heart function and cardiac biomarkers.

Conclusions:

  • Circadian misalignment presents significant CVD risks, especially for older shift workers.
  • Further research is needed on clock gene and cardiac biomarker expression in older shift workers.
  • Behavioral interventions like chronotherapy and light therapy may mitigate risks, requiring further study.
Abstract

Keywords:
Atypical workBMAL1Cardiac troponin IChronotypeOld ageOscillators

More Related Videos

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells11:56

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

Published on: September 28, 2017

9.7K
Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures06:53

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Published on: November 11, 2016

8.2K

Related Concept Videos

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...
4.0K
Management of Insomnia01:19

Management of Insomnia

The sleep cycle, an integral part of human health, consists of several stages with distinct characteristics and functions. It begins with a transition from wakefulness to sleep, known as the light sleep phase, followed by the restorative deep sleep phase, essential for physical recovery and growth. The cycle concludes with the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, characterized by high brain activity and vivid dreaming. Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, involves difficulty falling asleep, staying...
229
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation01:13

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
127
Understanding Sleep01:11

Understanding Sleep

Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
215
Insomnia01:27

Insomnia

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and waking up too early without being able to return to sleep. People with insomnia often experience these disruptions at least three nights a week for at least one month. Chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least three months, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn can worsen sleep difficulties, creating a cycle of sleeplessness and stress.
Multiple factors contribute...
78