Night shift linked to higher kidney stone risk: Study warns workers

A large international study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings has found that people working night shifts face a significantly higher risk of developing kidney stones due to sleep disruption and lifestyle imbalance.

Working night shifts has become unavoidable in several industries, with employees expected to adjust their lives according to rotating or fixed work schedules. While night work may appear comfortable from the outside, medical research now shows that it poses serious risks to workers’ health.

According to a recent study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal, night shift work is directly linked to an increased risk of kidney stones. The research highlights that lack of proper sleep, disrupted daily routines, and unhealthy lifestyle patterns among night workers contribute to this condition.

Experts say that sleeping during the day cannot fully compensate for the loss of night-time sleep. Many night shift workers struggle to get quality rest during daylight hours, leading to chronic sleep deprivation. This disturbance affects the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which controls sleep, hormone release, and other vital biological functions.

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The study explains that people working at night usually have reduced physical activity levels during those hours. This, combined with irregular water intake, unhealthy eating habits, weight gain, and poor sleep, significantly increases the chances of kidney stone formation.

Lead researcher Yin Yang from the Department of Epidemiology at Sun Yat-sen University in China stated that people working night shifts face about a 15 per cent higher risk of developing kidney stones compared to day workers. He added that smoking, lack of sleep, inadequate water consumption, and excess body weight further raise this risk.

As part of the research, Yin Yang’s team analysed health data from nearly 2.2 lakh individuals over a 14-year period. The study tracked people working in different shifts and closely monitored their long-term health outcomes. The findings clearly showed a strong association between night shift work and kidney stone development.

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An editorial published alongside the study by Felix Knauf from the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Mayo Clinic in the United States also stressed that night work severely affects the body’s circadian balance. According to the editorial, prolonged disruption of this balance can have long-term effects on kidney health and overall well-being.

Medical experts caution that while night shifts may be unavoidable for many workers, awareness, adequate hydration, healthy lifestyle choices, and regular health monitoring are essential to reduce risks linked to such work schedules.