Correlation between shift work and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among male workers in the steel manufacturing company of Korea: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Circadian rhythm disturbance caused by shift work has adverse effects on the metabolic homeostasis of the liver. Disruption of the metabolic homeostasis of the liver causes fat accumulation in the liver. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between shift work and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among male workers in the steel manufacturing industry of Korea. Methods Based on medical examination data collected in June 2020, 2,511 male subjects from one steel manufacturing company in Korea were selected in total. NAFLD was evaluated using abdominal ultrasound, which was performed by two experienced radiologists. The multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed by adjusting for age, physical activity, smoking history, alcohol consumption, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, lipidemia, liver function test, employment duration, and hepatotoxic materials exposure status. Results Compared to daytime workers, the odds ratio (OR) of moderate-severe NAFLD in shift workers was 1.449 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.028–2.043). Compared to daytime workers, the ORs of moderate-severe NAFLD were significantly higher for the group that engaged in total shift work for more than 20 years (OR, 2.285; 95% CI, 1.051–4.970), the group that was not allowed to sleep during night shift work (OR, 1.463; 95% CI, 1.030–2.078), and the group that consumed food during night shift work (OR, 1.580; 95% CI, 1.093–2.284). Conclusions There was a correlation between shift work and moderate-severe NAFLD in male steel manufacturing workers. There will be a need for more research related to the correlation of shift work with steatohepatitis and cirrhosis in the future.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Shift Workers and Its Effect on Peripheral Nerve Conduction: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In our study, we found a high prevalence of NAFLD among security guards working in rotating shifts, with 76.1% affected. This prevalence is notably higher compared to similar studies conducted by Kiseok et al in 2022 (44.5%) and Zhang et al in 2020 (33.7%) among shift workers in steel plants in Korea and China, respectively [ 26 , 19 ]. The latest prospective analysis of 281,280 UK Biobank participants reports that workers who occasionally worked night shifts were 1.12 times more and individuals with usual or permanent night shifts had a 1.27 times higher risk of developing (NAFLD), and this association remained significant irrespective of genetic predisposition to NAFLD, indicating that night shift work is associated with an increased risk of incident of NAFLD [ 27 ].…”

Relationship of shift work with liver enzyme abnormalities and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A retrospective cohort study of Thai workers in Bangkok, Thailand

“…Previous studies on the association between the duration of shift work and NAFLD outcomes reported inconsistent findings. 19,33,34 Conversely, our findings revealed that shift work durations of 10-20 years and fewer than 10 years were risk factors for NAFLD in healthcare and nonhealthcare shift workers, consecutively, but a long duration (>20 years) of shift work was specifically a protective factor for e-LAP in healthcare personnel. The differences between our results and those of previous studies could be explained by the following possible explanations: the workload of shift workers in Thailand, particularly healthcare personnel, decreased as the duration of shift work increased; or our biological clocks can be adapted to the shift work schedules as time passes.…”

Effects of Oat β-Glucan and Inulin on Alleviation of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Aggravated by Circadian Disruption in C57BL/6J Mice

“…The flow rate of eluent (distilled water) was 0.5 mL/min, and the column temperature was kept at 25 °C. The column was calibrated with a set of dextran standards (5,12,25,80,150,270,410,670, and 1400 kDa). The oat β-glucan sample and dextran standards were dissolved in 0.01 M ammonium acetate and filtered through a 0.45 μm Millipore filter.…”

“…Recently, it was found that there was a positive association between shift work and NAFLD among Chinese rail workers, 10 UK Biobank participants, 11 and Korean male workers in a steel manufacturing company. 12 Animal studies have revealed that circadian disruption can be harmful to liver health. Kettner et al reported that circadian disruption could induce NAFLD and hepatocellular carcinoma in wild-type mice.…”