Document Type : Review
Author
Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran
Abstract
This article discusses regarding the impact of night shift work on osteoporosis using evidences from epidemiological evidences. Nowadays, night shift work is characterized as a common risk factors which contributes in decrease of bone mineral density (BMD) content as well as increase of bone fracture risk (1). Osteoporosis is defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as "a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength, predisposing a person to an increased risk of fracture." BMD, a measure of bone strength, is assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), with fractures most common in the hip, spine, and forearm. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 9 million low-energy fractures occur globally each year, affecting more than 200 million women, especially those over the age of 60 (1-2).
In conclusion, the findings from current evidences support an association between night shift work and osteoporosis. Based on the available evidence shift work could impacted on mineral bone density through various mechanism such as normal homostasis, dysregulation of endocrin-hormones and immune system to alternating the bone mineral density content. However, the current body of research is limited, and further studies are needed to clarify the link between night shift work and osteoporosis, as well as the underlying biological mechanisms.
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