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Perils of graveyard shift
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-08 10:49 Night shift work is strenuous, but the potential health problems, such as obesity and cardiovascular disease, may be much bigger than previously thought, according to a recent study. The study conducted by Harvard University in Boston and published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed a higher risk of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease among night shift workers.
"There is convincing evidence for an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic complications associated with shift work, but the underlying mechanisms were largely unknown," says Frank Scheer, a neuroscientist involved in the project. The researchers studied five women and five men who voluntarily underwent a progressive jet lag, eating and sleeping on a 28-hour schedule. The participants ate four identical calorie meals. Past studies conducted on animals who underwent changed day and night sleeping patterns even caused premature death.
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Blood levels of leptin were down, which increases obesity risk in the long term, the report said. Other symptoms included a higher level of the stress hormone cortisol and higher blood pressure.