Shift Work Increases Type 2 Diabetes Risk
According to a new international study, shift work increases type 2 diabetes risk. Shift work affects the body clock by disrupting sleeping and eating cycles, which in turn negatively affect hormonal balance.
In the study, researchers studied shift workers in China, and found that they were 9% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes when compared to workers not on shifts. Men were at greater risk than women, and those who were on rotating shifts upped their risk by 42%.
Eating late at night can make food difficult to metabolize, and the body stores it as fat, and in men, it also changes hormone levels.
Sleep research has also shown that making people take naps at the wrong time of day can lead to type 2 diabetes in a matter of weeks.
To reduce diabetes risk, researchers suggest that shift workers be educated about diabetes, and take risk-assessment tests to know their personal risk of developing the disease, and then come up with strategies for prevention. More….
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