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. 2017 Jun;3(2):104-112.
doi: 10.1007/s40675-017-0071-6. Epub 2017 Apr 27.

Shift Work: Disrupted Circadian Rhythms and Sleep-Implications for Health and Well-Being

Stephen M James  1   2 , Kimberly A Honn  1   2 , Shobhan Gaddameedhi  1   3 , Hans P A Van Dongen  1   2
Affiliations

Shift Work: Disrupted Circadian Rhythms and Sleep-Implications for Health and Well-Being

Stephen M James et al. Curr Sleep Med Rep. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Our 24/7 society is dependent on shift work, despite mounting evidence for negative health outcomes from sleep displacement due to shift work. This paper reviews short- and long-term health consequences of sleep displacement and circadian misalignment due to shift work.

Recent findings: We focus on four broad health domains: metabolic health; risk of cancer; cardiovascular health; and mental health. Circadian misalignment affects these domains by inducing sleep deficiency, sympathovagal and hormonal imbalance, inflammation, impaired glucose metabolism, and dysregulated cell cycles. This leads to a range of medical conditions, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, gastrointestinal dysfunction, compromised immune function, cardiovascular disease, excessive sleepiness, mood and social disorders, and increased cancer risk.

Summary: Interactions of biological disturbances with behavioral and societal factors shape the effects of shift work on health and well-being. Research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms and drive the development of countermeasures.

Keywords: Cancer Risk; Circadian Misalignment; Heart Health; Mental Health; Metabolic Health; Sleep Displacement.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest James Stephen, Kimberly Honn, Shobhan Gaddameedhi, and Hans Van Dongen each declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Human pathophysiology due to shift work. In this paper, we discuss four broad components of health that are adversely affected by circadian misalignment due to shift work: heart health (top left quadrant), metabolic health (top right quadrant), cancer risk (bottom right quadrant), and mental health (bottom left quadrant). The inner circle represents biological systems that are disturbed by circadian misalignment, and the outer area represents broad psychosocial factors that interact with these disturbed biological systems. The ring between them illustrates key medical conditions that may arise from the interaction, for which shift workers are at elevated risk.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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