Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 24/04/2012 12:49:13

Title: Can stress lead to circadian disruption?
Post by: thedoc on 24/04/2012 12:49:13

Could stress produce the same result as jetlag, the same desynchronicity, without actually having to move time zones?
Asked by Leo Mandelbrot in SecondLife


                                        Visit the webpage for the podcast in which this question is answered. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/show/20120422/)

 

Title: Can stress lead to circadian disruption?
Post by: thedoc on 24/04/2012 12:49:13

We answered this question on the show...



Russell -   Stress is probably one of the ways in which shift workers for example are suffering many of the pathologies.  One thing we know, for example, is that elevated stress will elevate cortisol, will reduce the immune system, and of course, levels of infection are much higher in shift workers compared to day shift workers.  So stress is going to be really important in our bodily responses to try and function when the clock is not in sync with the environment.