Women who work for years on the night shift are at a higher risk of contracting type-II diabetes as well as overweight and smoking, according to two US studies.
The researches conducted by Prof. Ido Sholat of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology's Rappaport Medical Faculty and Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, have found that the reason behind this is a disruption of the circadian rhythm, a roughly 24-hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Disruptions of the circadian rhythm involve a complex process in the sleep cycle, energy balance, body heat, cell cycles and the production of hormones.
The studies were published in the Israel Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.