Shift Work Linked to Diabetes

An article published in The Independent this morning states, "Medics, police officers and fire fighters could be at increased risk of developing diabetes." 

The publication comes after new research was published in the Occupational & Environmental Medicine journal linking a heightened risk of diabetes to shift work.

In comparison with conventional employees who work a 9 to 5 day, shift workers, especially “graveyard” shift workers, are 9 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Additionally, researchers found that male shift workers are 37 percent more likely to develop diabetes while employees who work rotating rather than fixed shift patterns have an increased risk of 42 percent.

According to CBS News, ‘”Some potential biological mechanisms may explain the link between shift work and [diabetes],” the researchers write in their study. “First, shift work may interfere with the normal synchrony of the light-dark cycle, sleeping and eating patterns, which might cause a mismatch of circadian rhythms.”‘

Other research on the topic has also linked shift work to serious health conditions, including cancer, heart disease and potential harm to fertility for women who hold late night or rotating shift jobs.

Other articles covering this story include Forbes, Tech Times and BBC News.