Shift Work May Increase Risk of Diabetes

According to a recent meta-analysis, shift workers may have an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM).  

Specifically, the study showed that men and people with rotating shifts have a greater risk than women or those with regular working hours.
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While studies have shown an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in shift workers over the past decade, results have been inconsistent, causing researchers to conduct a meta-analysis of observational studies to understand the associated risks.

Researchers observed 226,652 participants from 28 independent reports; they included 14,5965 participants with DM.

The study showed that shift workers had a 9% greater risk of developing DM compared with those who never worked shifts.

Investigators noted a 37% higher risk in men and a 42% increased risk in individuals with rotating shifts.

“Shift work may interfere with the normal synchrony of the light–dark cycle, sleeping and eating patterns,” said the researchers from the School of Public Health at Huazhong University, Wuhan, China.

The researchers further noted that past studies have shown an association between shift work and weight gain and increased appetite—additional risk factors for DM.

The complete study is published in the July issue of the British Medical Journal.

-Michelle Canales

References:

Yong G, Yang C, Tong X et al. Shift work and diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ. 2014 July [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102150.

Mayor S.Shift work and diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ. 2014;349:g4804. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4804