Shift Work and Metabolic Syndrome Updates: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Chronobiology
• Metabolic Health
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Shift work disrupts natural circadian cycles and endogenous rhythms.
• Misalignment of circadian systems can negatively impact physiological and metabolic functions.
• Understanding these metabolic alterations is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review metabolic alterations associated with shift and night work.
• To analyze studies published within the last five years focusing on gender inclusivity and English-language indexed articles.
• To identify key metabolic changes resulting from circadian rhythm disruption due to shift work.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched databases (Medline, Lilacs, ScienceDirect, Cochrane) for studies on Chronobiology Disorders and Night Work related to metabolism.
• Included cross-sectional, cohort, and experimental studies with low risk of bias, published in English within the last 5 years.

Main Results:

• Shift work leads to circadian misalignment, affecting metabolic parameters.
• Observed alterations include impaired glycemic control, insulin functioning issues, and disrupted cortisol release.
• Imbalances in cholesterol, changes in morphological indexes, and altered melatonin secretion were also noted.

Conclusions:

• Shift work significantly interferes with the sleep-wake cycle and eating patterns.
• These disruptions cause critical physiological alterations.
• The cumulative effect of these changes increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.