Night workers may find diabetes harder to control, finds study

The study shows that poor long-term glycemic, or blood sugar, control, was independent of what workers ate or any sleep problems they had. The findings expand on previous research showing that night shift work is associated with an increased risk for the development of diabetes. Sirimon Reutrakul, associate professor at Mahidol University in Thailand, does the study. 

Reutrakul and her colleagues studied 260 individuals with type 2 diabetes in Thailand, 62 night shift workers, 94 daytime workers and 104 unemployed individuals. They determined the study participants’ glycemic control by reviewing their medical records for recent measurements of hemoglobin A1C. 

The A1C test shows the average blood sugar level over the previous three months. Most people with diabetes should strive for an A1C level below 7 per cent, according to the Hormone Health Network. Night shift workers reportedly had an average A1C of 8.2 per cent, significantly higher than the 7.6 per cent A1C for daytime workers and 7.5 per cent A1C for participants who did not work.