Breakthrough in Body Clock Science Offers Hope for Shift Workers

Speedy summary

• Night shift workers face heightened health risks, including heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, depression, and cancer.
• The World Health Association has classified shift work as a probable carcinogen due to its adverse health effects.
• New tests have been developed to measure individual circadian rhythms more precisely. These could help mitigate the harms of disrupted body clocks in night workers.
• Medical treatments like drugs, vaccines, and surgeries have shown greater effectiveness when timed in alignment with the body’s biological clock.
• There is concern that these tests might be overused by healthy individuals looking for lifestyle optimization rather than aiding those genuinely affected by circadian disruptions.
• Wider implementation of these tests could help employers support night workers through better treatment options and optimized shift patterns.

Image caption: Emergency paramedics assisting an injured patient during nighttime operations (Credit: Gorodenkoff/Getty Images).