A recent study has linked irregular sleeping habits to an increased risk of cancer.
Published in Current Biology, the study lists concerns about the damaging impact of shift work and poor sleeping habits on overall health. In addition to cancer risk, the data also showed that the mice involved in the study were 20% heavier than other mice, even though they ate the same diet, reports BBC.
Researchers say that women who have a family history of breast cancer should stray away from shift work, as studies indicate a higher risk of diseases – including breast cancer – in flight attendants and shift workers.
One theory is that the risk of disease is increased when the body’s internal rhythm – or body clock — is disrupted.
In the study, mice who were at risk for breast cancer had their body clock pushed back 12 hours every week over the course of a year, reports CBS Atlanta. The mice that would have normally had tumors appear after 50 weeks had tumors eight weeks early after regular disruption to their body clocks and sleeping patterns.
“The general public health message coming out of my area of work is shift work, particularly rotational shift work is a stress and therefore it has consequences,” said Dr. Michael Hastings of the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council.
The general public health message coming out of my area of work is shift work, particularly rotational shift work is a stress and therefore it has consequences. There are things people should be looking out for – pay more attention to your body weight, pay more attention to inspecting breasts, and employers should offer more in-work health checks.
In an unrelated study reported on here at Immortal News, researchers found that getting extra sleep helps improve memory function in Alzheimer’s patients.
