02 Jun Shift Work May Increase Risk of Stroke

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. David Earnest

David Earnest, Ph.D.
Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Earnest: When body clocks are disrupted, as they are when people engage in shift work or go to bed and get up at radically different times every few days, more severe ischemic strokes can result.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Dr. Earnest:  Whenever possible, go to bed and get up at the same time each day and keep regular mealtimes. If you do need to keep an irregular schedule, it is especially important to be mindful of stroke risk and try especially hard to eliminate other risk factors, such as hypertension and obesity.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Earnest:  We’d like to better understand what role inflammation has in this link between circadian rhythm disruption and increased stroke severity. With this information, we may be able to identify therapeutic interventions that limit damage after a stroke in patients with a history of shift work.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dr. Earnest: This research has clear implications for shift workers with odd schedules, but probably extends to many of us who keep schedules that differ greatly from day-to-day, especially from weekdays to weekends. We should all try our best to eliminate this “social jet lag” from our routines

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:
Sex Differences in the Impact of Shift Work Schedules on Pathological Outcomes in an Animal Model of Ischemic Stroke
David J. Earnest1,3,4,†, Nichole Neuendorff1, Jason Coffman1, Amutha Selvamani1,2, and Farida Sohrabji1,2
Endocrinology

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/en.2016-1130
Received: March 01, 2016 Published June 2 2016
Accepted: May 18, 2016
First Published Online: June 02, 2016

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on June 2, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD