These ailments are two to three times more frequent among shift workers. The causes are poor eating or diets high in saturated fats. Too much fast food is consumed because of constant tiredness and lack of time to prepare healthy foods. People also have difficulty digesting food during the overnight hours. Other factors include disturbed sleep, poor eating habits, overeating, excessive coffee drinking, smoking and psychological stress.
Heart disease is an added risk.
Increased consumption of fast foods, especially those high in fats, can increase cholesterol levels in the blood stream, leading to coronary heart disease. Higher levels of smoking among shift workers exacerbate the danger. The Helinski Heart Study of the Finnish population found that over a five-year period, rotating shift workers had a 40 to 50 percent increased risk of heart disease compared to day workers. One rare study of female shift workers showed that American nurses who worked rotating shifts for six years or more had a 51 percent higher coronary heart disease risk. Apart from these health dangers, accidents and mistakes are likely, with particularly tragic consequences in hospitals and other medical facilities.