How does shift work affect your health?

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Kunle Emmanuel
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How does shift work affect your health?

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Scientists disrupted the normal sleep-wake cycle of 22 volunteers until they were sleeping in the middle of the day. They then tested the activity of genes in blood samples taken from the participants.

The research showed a six-fold reduction in the number of active genes working to a 24-hour “circadian rhythm” cycle. These included many linked to the regulation of biological processes, indicating that shiftwork or jet lag may have far-reaching physiological and health effects.


What effect do shift patterns have on your health?
What advice would you give to students working their first night shift?
Could any changes be made to shift patterns to improve staff health and wellbeing?
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Kunle Emmanuel
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Re: How does shift work affect your health?

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

The negative effects of shift work could be alleviated after researchers discovered a new mechanism that governs how the body clock reacts to changes in the environment.

University of Manchester researchers have found that by inhibiting the enzyme casein knase 1epsilon (CK1epsilon), disruptions to the body clock can be minimised.

As part of the study, mice lacking CK1epsilon were able to shift to a new light-dark environment much faster than normal.


David Bechtold, who led the research, said people are not genetically pre-disposed to quickly adapt to shift work or long-haul flights. Body clocks are built to resist such rapid changes.

‘It is now becoming clear that clock disruption is increasing the incidence and severity of diseases including obesity and diabetes,’ he added.

‘As this work progresses we may be able to enhance the clock’s ability to deal with shift work, and importantly understand how maladaptation of the clock contributes to diseases such as diabetes.’
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