Night Shift Work Linked to Higher Cardiovascular–Kidney–Metabolic Risk, Especially With Short Sleep

Long-term and intensive night shift work was associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) disease in a large UK Biobank cohort, with the strongest effects seen among individuals who slept six hours or less per night. Among 96,365 participants followed through 2022, those with more than 20 years of night shift work, 8+ nightshifts monthly, or over 1200 lifetime nightshifts had 32–36% higher CKM risk compared with day workers, independent of demographic and socioeconomic factors. A clear dose–response relationship was observed across measures of night work exposure, and sleep duration significantly modified this association, amplifying risk in short sleepers (≤6 hours), whereas chronotype did not. These findings suggest that prolonged night shift work contributes to CKM disease burden and adequate sleep duration may be a potential mitigating factor for workers exposed to circadian disruption. Source: https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/