[Shift work, social class and ischemic heart disease in middle-aged and elderly men. A 22-year follow-up in the "Copenhagen Male Study"].

The adjusted relative risk for ischaemic heart disease in shift workers was 0.9.

• No significant difference in the risk of ischaemic heart disease was found between shift and day workers.
• Adjusted relative risk estimates for ischaemic heart disease were 0.9 (0.7-1.1) overall.
• Restriction to social class III resulted in an adjusted relative risk of 0.7 (0.5-1.0).
• The findings do not support the idea that shift work is an independent risk factor for ischaemic heart disease.
• The relationship between shift work and ischaemic heart disease remains a topic of debate.

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