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The Relationship Between Shift Work and Men's Health
Nanfu Deng1, Taylor P Kohn1, Larry I Lipshultz2
1Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Sexual Medicine Reviews
|January 27, 2018
Summary
Shift work, especially with shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), increases risks for chronic health issues and male urologic problems. More research is needed for effective SWSD treatments to improve shift worker health and safety.
Area of Science:
- Men's Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Over 21 million Americans and 20% of the U.S. workforce are shift workers.
- Non-standard work hours disrupt sleep, diet, and exercise, leading to health issues and reduced productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate links between shift work and chronic conditions like metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and depression.
- Examine urologic complications including hypogonadism, infertility, lower urinary tract symptoms, and prostate cancer.
- Assess the impact of shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) on the severity of these health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on shift work and SWSD effects on general and urologic health.
Main Results:
- Shift work is associated with increased risks of diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, heart disease, peptic ulcers, and depression.
- Evidence links non-standard shifts to hypogonadism, poor semen quality, reduced fertility, LUTS, and prostate cancer in men.
- Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD) exacerbates these risks, affecting up to 20% of shift workers.
Conclusions:
- Non-standard shift work, particularly with SWSD, is linked to negative health and urologic outcomes.
- Recognizing these risks can improve screening for chronic and urologic conditions.
- Further research on SWSD therapies is crucial for improving shift worker well-being and safety.