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Scientists have discovered that lack of sleep can permanently damage the DNA, thus increasing the risk of cancer.
Sleep deprivation can also reduce the ability of DNA to repair itself and lead to genetic diseases, according to the results of the University of Hong Kong study.
Scientists believe that it is the first study of its kind to examine the effects of sleep deprivation on the genes of adults, primarily from physicians who need to adjust their sleep patterns because of their work at night and that they could not determine why sleep harms the DNA.
The recommended amount of sleep is usually seven hours a night, but the numbers indicate that adults are systematically absent for an hour or two.
The study involved 49 doctors working in two local hospitals, of which 24 were forced to work at night, on average five to six times a month, and had to work from late afternoon to early morning the next day.
During the study, participants slept between two and four hours during the night shift, three of them sleeping less than an hour, while others did not work during these hours.
After three days of restful sleep, the researchers took blood samples from all the doctors. The results published in the journal "Anesthesia" indicate that doctors who worked at night suffered 30% of damage to the DNA, compared to those who rested.
DNA damage increased by 25% after a night of sleep deprivation, and the ability of DNA to repair the damage was also reduced for doctors who were not sleeping enough, which could cause cell death.
"Damage to DNA is a change in structure, which is not repaired when DNA is repeated," the scientists said.
Sleep deprivation during night shifts was associated with adverse health consequences, and increased damage to DNA was linked to the development of chronic diseases.
"Such conditions can increase the chances of developing diseases caused by genetic mutations," said Dr. Gordon Wong Tin-Chun, co-author and associate professor of anesthesia at the University of Hong Kong. Cancers ".
According to scientists, the underlying cause of DNA damage due to lack of sleep is not yet clear.
Source: Daily Mail
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