Researchers reviewed 12 existing studies to see if there is a link between working shifts and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults. CKD is a condition where the kidneys don't work as well as they should over time. The studies looked at people who worked night shifts or rotating shifts and compared them to people who worked regular daytime hours.
The main finding was that shift workers had higher odds of having CKD. Specifically, the combined data showed shift workers had about 43% higher odds. This means the link was statistically significant, but it's important to remember this comes from observational studies. These types of studies can find associations, but they cannot prove that shift work directly causes kidney disease.
There are a few reasons to be careful with these results. The different studies in the review did not all define kidney disease outcomes in exactly the same way. Also, while the overall quality of the studies was moderate to low risk of bias, other lifestyle factors common among shift workers (like sleep patterns or diet) could play a role. The researchers did not report on specific safety concerns or side effects.
What this means for readers is that there appears to be a connection between shift work and kidney health. This supports the idea that people who work shifts might benefit from more targeted health check-ups. However, because this is an observed link and not proof of cause, more research is needed to understand exactly why this connection exists.
