![]() Circadian disruption occurs when the brain’s biological clock is not in synchrony with external time and with other parts of our body. Light-dark patterns reaching the back of our eyes reset the timing of the biological clock on a daily basis and ensure that we are in synchrony with our local time on Earth. Circadian rhythms are biological processes that repeat about every 24 hours, such as the sleep-wake cycle and the production of hormones. One category relates to circadian disruption resulting from irregular sleep-wake cycles, and the second relates to acute melatonin suppression by exposure to light at night.Įach of us has a "biological clock" in our brain that generates and regulates our circadian rhythms. The potential for rotating shift worker health risk falls into two general categories. Why Are Rotating Shift Workers at Higher Risk for Diseases? Meanwhile, accumulating data from epidemiologic studies of humans suggest probable links between people who work rotating night shifts for 20-30 years and increased risk for cancer, most notably breast cancer in females and prostate cancer in males. Indeed, studies conducted on animals have strongly suggested that circadian disruption is associated with faster tumor growth rates. In 2007, the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) declared that shift work involving circadian disruption is a probable carcinogen, citing robust evidence from animal studies while also noting that more evidence from human studies was needed. Yet evidence is mounting that shift work may be detrimental to workers’ health. Health care facilities cannot function without personnel who are willing to work evening and overnight shifts. Until we know more, it is recommended that lighting in health care facilities should be designed to minimize acute melatonin suppression in night shift workers. Understanding Rotating Shift Workers' Health Risks
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