Sunday, August 16th 2026
Working at night does not only affect sleep and the biological functioning of the organism. A new European study shows that it is associated with certain metabolic changes, which are associated with increased blood pressure, increased body weight and a higher cardiometabolic risk. In fact, the more consecutive night shifts a person works, the more pronounced the consequences seem to be.
The study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, analyzed the data of 860 employees in Sweden, Spain and Denmark. Of these, 498 worked night shifts, while 362 worked only during the day.
Researchers compared the two groups by analyzing indicators such as blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and dozens of metabolic biomarkers in the blood.
Higher blood pressure, greater weight and higher cardiometabolic risk
Results showed that shift workers night workers had, on average, higher systolic blood pressure and greater body mass index compared to those who worked only during the day.
38% more likely to develop hypertension;
37% more likely to be overweight or obese.
These associations remained strong even after the researchers took into account other factors such as age, gender, physical activity, smoking, diet quality and other factors. lifestyle. The effects were even more pronounced in women.
Beyond the usual indicators of health, the scientists identified special metabolic changes in the blood of employees who worked at night.
Specifically, lower levels of unsaturated fatty acids, but higher concentrations of saturated and monounsaturated fats were found. Also, increased levels of some amino acids, such as isoleucine, valine and phenylalanine, were found, which in other studies have been associated with adverse metabolic effects.
The most important finding is that these metabolic changes are directly related to higher body mass index and increased blood pressure. This reinforces the idea that they are part of the mechanism through which night work damages cardiometabolic health.
The more nights worked, the greater the burden on the body
The study also revealed a clear link between exposure to night work and the consequences on the body. Metabolic disorders were more pronounced in workers who performed more consecutive night shifts each week, as well as in those who worked only at night and not with alternating shifts.
According to the researchers, this shows that it is not only important if a person works at night, but also the intensity and duration of exposure to this schedule.
Working at night disrupts the circadian rhythm, that is, the internal “biological clock” that regulates sleep, hormone production and metabolism. When this mechanism is disrupted over a long period, the way the body processes fats and glucose is affected, gradually increasing cardiometabolic risk.
Researchers estimate that limiting consecutive night shifts and reducing the overall intensity of work during this time may help reduce these negative effects.
However, they emphasize that this is an observational study and cannot prove a direct link. cause and effect. Regardless, the findings reinforce existing evidence that long-term night work is an important risk factor for cardiometabolic health.
Source: prizrenpost
