PURPOSE OF REVIEW To delineate the current state of evidence on the impact of night shift work on age at natural menopause. RECENT FINDINGS The only direct evidence is from a single observational study, which indicates that women who work night shifts are at moderately higher risk for earlier menopause and that this risk is more pronounced among younger women. Underlying biological mechanisms have yet to be sufficiently substantiated. A long-held line of inquiry, most strongly propagated by the observed link between night shift work and female breast cancer, is the 'Light at Night' hypothesis, which suggests melatonin-mediated circadian disruption as a potential regulator of reproductive signaling in women. Supporting evidence is found from observations of changes in endogenous melatonin production among night working women or in response to light exposure, and corresponding changes in endogenous ovarian hormone levels and modulated menstrual patterns, among other indications of altered central ovulation-governing processes. Susceptibility to night shift work may be modified by chronotype. SUMMARY This review summarizes the literature related to night work and ovulatory regulation in humans, prioritizing population-based evidence to provide motivation for the study of circadian disruption and night shift work as a regulator of menopausal timing.

中文翻译：

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夜班工作会影响更年期发生的年龄吗？

审查目的概述自然绝经后夜班工作对年龄的影响的当前证据。最新发现唯一直接的证据来自一项观察性研究，该研究表明，夜班工作的妇女更年期更早的风险较高，而在年轻妇女中，这种风险更为明显。潜在的生物学机制尚未得到充分证实。长期以来一直存在的一个问题是夜班工作与女性乳腺癌之间的联系，这是人们观察到的最深远的一个问题，即“夜间照明”假说，该假说表明褪黑激素介导的昼夜节律是女性生殖信号的潜在调节剂。从对夜班妇女中内源性褪黑激素产生的变化或对光的反应，以及内源性卵巢激素水平和月经方式的相应变化的观察中，发现了支持性证据，这些迹象还包括中枢性排卵过程的改变。夜班工作的易感性可以通过表型进行修改。总结这篇综述总结了与人类夜间工作和排卵调节有关的文献，优先考虑了基于人群的证据，从而为研究昼夜节律和夜班工作作为更年期时间的调节器提供了动力。夜班工作的易感性可以通过表型进行修改。总结这篇综述总结了与人类夜间工作和排卵调节有关的文献，优先考虑了基于人群的证据，从而为研究昼夜节律和夜班工作作为更年期时间的调节器提供了动力。夜班工作的易感性可以通过表型进行修改。总结这篇综述总结了与人类夜间工作和排卵调节有关的文献，优先考虑了基于人群的证据，从而为研究昼夜节律和夜班工作作为更年期时间的调节器提供了动力。