Impact of Night Shift Work on Memory – Study Reveals
Introduction
A new study shows that night shift work can impair memory by 79% in middle-aged and older people.
Shift Work and Health
Previous research has shown that shift work, which is any work schedule outside of traditional work hours (9:00 am to 5:00 pm), has a significant impact on health.
Research Findings
The team analyzed data from 47,811 adults, which included information about employment, work schedules, and cognitive test scores. One in five respondents reported that they had experienced some form of shift work in their career.
And those who worked the night shift at their current job had 79% higher levels of cognitive impairment than those who only worked daytime. And for those who worked all their employment on the night shift, the indicators were 53% higher.
The researchers said the cause could be a disruption in the circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock.
“The results suggest a possible link between shift work and cognitive impairment,” the team at York University in Canada explained in an article published in the journal Plos One. “We suggest that disruptive circadian rhythm stimuli may play a role in the neurodegeneration that contributes to cognitive impairment.”
Expert Opinion
Russell Foster, professor of neuroscience at the University of Oxford, said the finding that night work increases the risk of cognitive impairment is important.
He added: “These results are consistent with both laboratory and field studies – for example, with long-haul airline pilots – that there is an association between sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms and poor health outcomes, including impaired emotional and cognitive responses.”
Additional Health Risks
Previous research has shown that irregular and palpitations are “significantly” associated with night shift work.
A study of 283,000 people in the UK found that women and those who are not physically active may be at increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation. An increased risk of coronary heart disease is also associated with night shift work.
Source
Source: Daily Mail
