SHIFT WORKERS AT THE RISK OF TYPE-2 DIABETES AND OBESITY
Shift workers getting too
little sleep at the wrong time of day may be increasing their risk of
diabetes and obesity, according to researchers.
The team is calling for more measures to reduce the impact of shift working following the results of its study.
Researchers controlled the lives of 21 people, including meal and bedtimes.
The results, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed changes to normal sleep meant the body struggled to control sugar levels.
Some participants even developed early symptoms of diabetes within weeks.
Shift work has been associated with a host of health problems.
Doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in the US, were trying to study its effects in a controlled environment.
Lower insulin levels
The 21 health-trial participants started with 10 hours' sleep
at night. This was followed by three weeks of disruption to their sleep
and body clocks.
Dr Orfeu Buxton
Brigham and Women's Hospital
The length of the day was extended to 28 hours, creating an effect similar to a full-time flyer constantly getting jet lag.
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