Could Night Shifts Increase Asthma Risk for Women?

New Delhi, June 16 (NationPress) A recent study involving over 270,000 individuals reveals that women working night shifts face a significantly greater risk of developing moderate or severe asthma compared to their daytime counterparts.

Interestingly, this research, which was published in ERJ Open Research, did not show a similar link for men; their asthma risk remained unchanged regardless of their work schedule.

Specifically, women exclusively on night shifts were found to be approximately 50 percent more likely to experience moderate or severe asthma than those working only during the day.

Dr. Robert Maidstone from the University of Manchester, UK, stated, “Asthma disproportionately affects women. Women typically experience more severe symptoms and higher rates of hospitalization and mortality due to asthma compared to men.”

He further commented, “This study is the first to investigate sex differences in the connection between shift work and asthma. Our findings indicate that permanent night shift workers have higher odds of moderate to severe asthma compared to their daytime colleagues.”

This study builds on earlier research that linked night shift work with an increased risk of asthma.

In total, the team examined 274,541 working individuals, discovering that 5.3 percent of them had asthma, with 1.9 percent suffering from moderate or severe asthma, indicating they were reliant on an asthma-preventive inhaler and at least one other form of treatment, such as an oral steroid.

Overall, the findings suggest that women engaged in shift work are more susceptible to asthma.

While the exact connection between night shifts and asthma remains unclear, researchers speculate that shift work disrupts the body’s internal clock, which may affect the levels of male and female sex hormones.

Previous studies indicated that high testosterone levels could provide protection against asthma, suggesting that lower testosterone in women might be a contributing factor. Additionally, the different types of shift jobs typically held by men and women could also influence the results.

In postmenopausal women, the risk of moderate or severe asthma was nearly doubled among night workers compared to day workers, especially for those not utilizing hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Dr. Maidstone noted, “Our findings imply that HRT may offer some protection against asthma for night shift workers, but further research is essential to validate this hypothesis through prospective studies and randomized controlled trials.”

The research team intends to further explore the impact of sex hormones on the relationship between shift work and asthma.