Relationship Between Serum Ferritin Levels, Arterial Hypertension and Shift Work in Women. A Cross-sectional Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to use cross-sectional research to determine the relationship between serum ferritin levels and arterial hypertension in women who work in shifts and women with regular daytime working hours. Methods: The respondents included 67 female nurses divided into two groups: nurses working in 12-hour shifts (7 am to 7 pm/7 pm to 7 am) were the test group, while nurses regularly working for 8 hours (7 am to 3 pm) were the control group. Data collection included information on associated diseases, chronic medication, last menstruation, duration of menopause, cigarette smoking, number of years of employment in shift work and regular daytime work, laboratory and anthropometric parameters and blood pressure levels. Results: In all respondents, there was a significant and positive relationship between ferritin and CRP levels, i.e. the higher the CRP levels, the higher the ferritin levels (Rho = 0.401; P = 0.001). Among respondents who have regular daytime working hours, there was no significant association between ferritin and other indicators, while in the group of those who work in shifts, there was a significant and positive association between ferritin and CRP (Rho = 0.468; P = 0.002). Finally, a positive correlation was found between the number of years of employment in shift work and systolic blood pressure levels, i.e. higher systolic pressure was observed in those respondents who worked longer in shifts (Rho = 0.424, P = 0.03). Conclusion: The study demonstrated a significant correlation between the number of years of employment in shift work and systolic blood pressure. A positive correlation between serum CRP and ferritin levels was also observed in all respondents, and especially in shift workers.

Keywords

• arterial hypertension
• c-reactive protein
• ferritin
• shift work
• women