Night Work And Staying Up Late May Be Factors of Endometriosis

Today, new research shows that night shift work is also associated with irregular menstruation and an increased risk of endometriosis. There is growing evidence that cancer is more common among night shift workers, which has prompted the international agency for research on cancer of the World Health Organization (who) to classify night shift work as "potentially carcinogenic to humans" in 2019. In addition to night shift work, the phenomenon of staying up late is becoming more and more severe among contemporary young people. Working overtime, playing games, brushing short videos, and staying up late actively or passively has become a new normal for many people. On February 27, 2021, researchers at Washington State University published a report in the Journal of Pineal Research entitled: Night shift schedule causes circadian dysregulation of DNA repair genes and elevated DNA damage in humans. The study found that night shift work can destroy the natural rhythm of cancer-related genes, delay the expression time of cancer-related genes, make night shift workers more prone to DNA damage. And it will reduce the repair efficiency of these damaged DNA. A study released at the 23rd European Congress of Endocrinology (e-ECE 2021) on May 23 showed that night shift work in women is associated with irregular menstruation and increases the risk of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease in women caused by the implantation of active endometrial cells outside the endometrium (such as ovary and fallopian tube). Endometriosis affects about 10% (190 million) of women and girls of childbearing age worldwide. But different women have different conditions. Some women have mild symptoms, but some women will be seriously affected. For those seriously affected women, because of the impact of endometriosis on the pelvic cavity, ovary, fallopian tube, or uterus, it will bring excruciating feelings and lead to infertility, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, endometriosis needs treatment. Endometriosis treatment should be based on the age, symptoms, location, scope of the disease, fertility requirements, and individualization of therapy. Patients with reproductive requirements can choose drug treatment, such as oral contraceptives, progesterone, pregnancy triaxone, danazol, etc. Because long-term hormone drugs will have side effects on the body, traditional Chinese medicine treatment has become a popular choice, such as the Fuyan Pill. However, the doctor will recommend a radical operation for those with no reproductive requirements with severe symptoms and lesions. From the University of Athens, Eva Kassi studied 27 female patients diagnosed with ovarian endometriosis with the research team. They examined the expression of clock-related genes in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues. The results showed that compared with normal endometrium, the expression of biological clock-related genes in ectopic endometrium was changed PER-2、CRY-1 and CLOCK Reduced gene expression, Rev erbB Gene expression increased. It is the first time that circadian rhythm disorder may be related to endometriosis by changing circadian clock gene expression in ectopic endometrium at the tissue level. These findings can help people better understand the biological rhythm disorder and the causes to improve the ability to prevent and treat endometriosis. At present, the paper of this study has not been published, and the specific research details are still unknown. The team said that the causal relationship between these changes in circadian clock gene expression patterns and the development of endometriosis needs further study. Night shift workers often face substantial health risks, from the increased risk of metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and mental diseases to increased cancer risk. And they usually do not get enough attention and research from the medical community. In addition to night shift work, the phenomenon of staying up late is becoming more and more severe among contemporary young people. Working overtime, playing games, brushing short videos, and staying up late actively or passively has become a new normal for many people. But, unfortunately, staying up late can also lead to circadian rhythm disorder. These two studies remind us that the circadian rhythm disorder caused by night work and staying up late is related to the increased risk of cancer, menstrual disease, and endometriosis. It also provides a new way for the prevention and treatment of cancer and endometriosis. But, at the same time, it also warns that staying up late is far more harmful to the body than we previously knew.