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[Previous entry: "rejected transformers"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "The Hubble space telescope turns 15"] 04/24/2005 Entry: "Changing sleep patterns may mean early death." Changing sleep patterns may mean early death. This is a bit startling. Seems that this is another stressor and, of course, stress kills. Urine tests from workers on the split shift revealed that levels of melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone normally secreted at night, did not become synchronised to the new sleep times after shift changes. As well as being more tired and less attentive on the job, these unadapted workers showed signs of being at risk of long-term health effects. The men had abnormally high levels of fatty acids circulating in their blood after meals, compared with the day shift or adapted workers. This increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. "The swing shift is the killer," says Arendt.
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