By Beverleigh H Piepers
Working on the night shift is known to be stressful, interfering with the normal sleep-wake cycle. It has been associated with:
- obesity,
- difficulty in processing sugar, and
- the metabolic syndrome.
Researchers in the Department of Nutrition of Harvard School of Public Health in the United States looked at night shift work and the development of Type 2 diabetes.
This particular study was reported in PLos Medicine in December 2011, and included 177,184 women between the ages of 25 and 67, who did not have diabetes, heart and blood vessel disease, or cancer in 1988. They were followed for 18 to 20 years.
A total of 10,126 cases of Type 2 diabetes developed. Women who worked at night had a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and their risk increased with the number of years of night shift worked. Increased body weight was also observed among those who developed Type 2 diabetes while working the night shift.
From this information researchers concluded screening for Type 2 diabetes should be performed for all workers on night shifts.
Screening by definition is testing for a disease or disorder in the absence of any signs or symptoms. It is performed for diseases:
- that can exist for a significant amount of time before any complaints surface, and
- when early treatment can prevent complications.
Screening people at high risk yields the highest results and makes screening programs cost-effective. Early detection and treatment of Type 2 diabetes can help to prevent:
- dangerously high or low blood sugar levels,
- heart attacks,
- strokes,
- kidney disease, and
- infections.
Screening can be accomplished with the use of either fasting blood sugar, or HbA1c levels:
- fasting blood sugar levels are measured in the morning after an overnight fast. Normal ranges vary from one lab to the next, but 70 to 100 mg/dL (3.9 to 5.5 mmol/L) or under 120 mg/dL (6.7 mmol/L) is usually considered normal.
- hemoglobin A1c, or HbA1c, measures blood sugar levels in the red blood cells and, since red blood cells live 120 days, it gives the history of blood sugar levels for the previous 3 to 4 months. Suggested HbA1c levels are below 7 per cent.
Once Type 2 diabetes has been diagnosed, if it is in its earliest stage it can often be treated with diet and exercise alone. People diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are frequently overweight or obese, and normalizing weight can often lower blood sugar levels to within normal levels...
- an eating plan rich in nutrients and fiber, and low in calories, will not only lower fat levels but provide the vitamins and minerals the body needs to keep itself in a good state of repair
- high fiber levels found in vegetables and fruits will slow absorption of sugar, helping to lower blood sugar levels
- a regular program of walking, swimming, bicycle riding, dancing, or other activity that increases pulse and breathing rates will not only help to lower weight but help the body to regular sugar levels.
If you or anyone you know works at night, discuss the possibility of screening for Type 2 diabetes with your doctor.
To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments
Clicking on this link will help you to learn more about Type 2 Diabetes Solutions... Beverleigh Piepers RN... the Diabetes Detective.
Beverleigh Piepers is the author of this article. This article can be used for reprint on your website provided all the links in the article are complete and active. Copyright (c) 2011 - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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