Altérations hormonales et métaboliques lors du travail en horaires décalés

The development of nocturnal socio-professional activities has followed the expansion of artificial lighting, a characteristic of the modern world. Currently, a fifth of the active population work in shifted schedules or during night. The psychological, relational and social repercussions of this shift are obvious and well demonstrated. These situations are also associated with various health problems : sleep and vigilance disturbances, digestive disorders, metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular morbidity. From 20% to 50% of the night-workers cease their night occupation invoking health problems. If the origin of these abnormalities is not univocal, different data indicate that shift-work led to a desynchronization of the circadian rhythms, source of hormonal and metabolic disturbances that may partly explain the clinical disorders. All occurs as if the circadian system of these subjects was in a phase of compromise between the requirements of their night activity and the maintenance, at least during the weekend, of a social and family diurnal activity. The debt of sleep frequently observed in these subjects may also play a role, which underlines the interactions between sleep and nutrition.