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"The researchers studied 78,586 women taking part in a long-running program called the Nurses' Health Study. The nurses who worked night shifts at least three times a month for 15 years or more had a 35 percent greater risk of colon or rectal cancer. "
That could be related to Vitamin D and sunshine. There is a calcium cancer relationship. Perhaps the calcium can't be activated without the Vitamin D. Just brainstorming, don't really know.
I'm in that study. I have wondered several times if just being IN the study might make nurses or anyone else more cognizant of sx and sx of various disease processes?
Working night shift is one of the hardest things a person can do for the bodyl. I did a paper on night shift many years ago when in school. Night shift workers have higher blood pressure, more stomach ailments, sleep disturbances, vague physical ailments on and on and on. But those who did rotating shifts day-nights faired a little worse.
When I worked nights I was always sick with something. I never felt rested no matter how long I slept. While I really loved the atmosphere of nights, I switched back to days and was soon back to my old self. Working nights totally screws up your natural biorhythms, especially if you switch back to a day schedule when you're off work. Rotating shifts is also unhealthy--that really puts your body in a tizzy!
So for me, noc shift was a health horror. Once I was back on a day schedule, my normal good health returned and the chronic fatigue vanished.