Aromatherapy for cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease is a serious threat in Japan and has increased over the last decade to become the second most common cause of death. There are some studies that suggest aromatherapy could be useful to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Night-shift work, which causes mental stress and lifestyle changes, is recognised as posing to workers a potential risk of cardiovascular diseases associated with impaired endothelial function. Shimada et al (2011) investigated the effect of aromatherapy on endothelial function . This study consisted of 19 healthy male medical personnel (mean age 32±7 years). The group included 11 physicians and eight technicians. Aromatherapy was carried out for 30 minutes by inhaling essential oil of lavender. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery was measured in each subject three times: a) on a regular workday b) after night-shift work and before aromatherapy c) immediately after aromatherapy. A control study was performed to assess the effect of a 30-minute rest without aromatherapy. The mean value of sleep time during night-shift work was 3.3±1.3 h. FMD after night-shift work was lower than on a regular workday (10.4±1.8 vs. 12.5±1.7%, P