MEDICATIONS: HORMONE APPEARS TO ENERGIZE THIRD-SHIFT WORKERS

Study Finds 'Glimmer of Hope' for Sleep-Deprived

A first of its kind study suggests that taking a pill that adjusts hormone levels in the body can influence a worker's perception of fatigue.

The study, published in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal involved four healthy male emergency room physicians in their mid- to late-30s. The WMJ is the official publication of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin (SMS of WI).

"Hydrocortisone, administered before a nightshift to day-accommodated workers, recreated the rise of plasma cortisol seen on awakening and was shown to be an effective means of decreasing subjective fatigue of a first nightshift," the authors write. The hormone was taken on the first nights following regular day shifts.

On 21 nights when the capsules were given, the physicians identified 17 as "good nights," in terms of fatigue. On 21 nights with dummy pills, they reported 15 as "bad" nights.

The study's lead author is John Whitcomb, M.D., of the Emergency Medicine Department at Milwaukee's St. Luke's Medical Center.

The researchers note that approximately 7.3 million Americans have night duty as part of their job and that accidents are much more common during these shifts. What's more, travelers commonly experience jet lag, a condition this therapy might also address. Cortisol would not be appropriate for every day use, but for transitional situations only.

The authors speculate that cortisol may be the "missing ingredient" responsible for supporting daily metabolic cycles. "This has not yet been explored by any study and remains conjecture," they write.

Furthermore, they say their study involved too few subjects to suggest that this hormone is the key to resolving the problems of workers on the graveyard shift. Still, they remain optimistic:

"Subjective improvement was sufficiently positive as to offer a glimmer of hope to a previously unexplored strategy," the authors write.