Jet lag could be worse than you thought and could shorten a human’s lifetime, according to a new study on mice.
University of Virginia scientist found that disrupting normal physiological cycles of test mice increased their mortality — especially for older mice.
In the study, a majority of elder rates put on an advanced-time schedule were dead within eight weeks. Only 17% of rates on normal schedules died.
The deaths could have come from sleep deprivation or immune system disruption.
Wrote Alex Davidson and Gene Block in this month’s edition of Current Biology:
“The dramatic differences in morbidity associated with phase advances of the biological clock raise important questions about the safety of rotating shift work and the potential long-term health consequences for airline crews regularly crossing time zones.”
Report by David Wilkening
