Rotating shift work linked to risk of metabolic syndrome over time

The incidence rate of metabolic syndrome in rotating shift workers was 60.6 per 1000 person-years.

• Rotating shift workers had a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome compared to day workers, with a rate of 60.6 versus 37.2 per 1000 person-years.
• An odds ratio of 1.77 suggests that shift work is associated with nearly double the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
• The risk for developing metabolic syndrome increased with the number of years spent in rotating shift work.
• Rotating shift work affected not only the overall metabolic syndrome risk but also each of its individual components.

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