Study links shift work to risk of type 2 diabetes

Hubei, China – Shift work increases an employee’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially among men as well as people who work rotating shifts, according to a recent study from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

Researchers reviewed 12 observational studies involving 226,652 participants, including 14,595 people with type 2 diabetes. They found that any period of shift work was associated with a 9 percent increased risk of developing diabetes, compared with normal daytime hours. This increased risk rose to 37 percent for men, according to a press release.

People who work rotating shifts – when they regularly work different parts of the 24-hour cycle – had the highest risk, at 42 percent.

The study was published online July 16 in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.