Research progress on relationship and mechanism between shift work and vascular aging

Shift work, as a form of non-conventional work schedule, significantly increases the risk of vascular aging and related diseases due to circadian rhythm disruption, sleep disturbances, and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. This review systematically summarized the mechanisms and epidemiological evidence linking shift work to vascular aging. Available studies indicated that shift work disrupts the rhythmic expression of core circadian clock genes (e.g., BMAL1, CLOCK, PER, CRY), leading to dysregulated glucose and lipid metabolism, enhanced oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and altered diurnal blood pressure patterns, thereby directly impairing endothelial function and accelerating arterial stiffness. Sleep deprivation and fragmentation further reduce nitric oxide bioavailability and promote endothelin-1 secretion, exacerbating vascular constriction and inflammatory responses. Existing epidemiological data show that shift workers exhibit higher prevalence of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and atherosclerosis compared with non-shift workers, accompanied by abnormal vascular function indicators such as pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness. Additionally, unhealthy dietary habits, psychological stress, and sedentary behavior in shift workers synergistically contribute to vascular aging. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for the pathological link between shift work and vascular aging and to inform public health policy formulation and occupational health management.