A new study published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine found a correlation between shift work and diabetes. In general, shift work was associated with a higher risk of diabetes mellitus. For men and individuals on a rotating shift, the increase in risk was even more pronounced. This study was based on a collection of data from 12 other studies using a total of more than 226,000 participants.

The findings of this study may be better explained by a study from 2012, published in Science Translational Medicine. In that study, researchers looked at the effects of prolonged sleep restrictions and disruption of circadian rhythms. They found that there were adverse metabolic consequences for people subjected to these circumstances. Given that shift work can disrupt the circadian rhythm, the development of diabetes could be one adverse metabolic consequence.

According to BBC News, disruptions in circadian rhythm, or the internal body clock, affect waistlines, hormones, and sleep. All of these effects would increase the risk of developing diabetes. To help offset the metabolic risk, shift workers should focus on eating a healthy balanced diet. However, simply sleeping at the wrong time of day has been shown to increase the onset of early stages of type 2 diabetes within weeks.

Medline Plus describes diabetes as a disease in which a person’s blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods people eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into the cells to give them energy. Having too much glucose in the blood can be damaging. Over time, it can damage the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb.