Occupational Medicine Advance Access originally published online on November 2, 2005
Occupational Medicine 2006 56(2):83-88; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqi178
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A longitudinal study of the influence of shift work on serum uric acid levels in workers at a telecommunications company
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuohku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
Background Hyperuricemia is a lifestyle-related disease. Although there have been many previous reports about the association of serum uric acid (UA) levels with lifestyle, including eating habits and alcohol intake, there has been no report of a longitudinal study of the relationship between serum UA levels and shift work.
Aims To clarify the influence of shift work on serum UA levels in Japanese workers.
Methods This was a 4-year cohort study of 15 871 workers at a telecommunications company. Pooled logistic regression analyses by sex were performed, with job schedule type, age, body mass index (BMI), lifestyle and the results of blood chemistries as covariates.
Results In males, shift work, part-time work, BMI, consumption of alcohol (less than twice per week, two to five times per week or more than five times per week) and little preference for vegetables were positively associated with the development of increased serum UA (
8 mg/dl in males,
6 mg/dl in females). In females, age, BMI and a history of smoking were positively associated with the development of increased serum UA.
Conclusion This study revealed that shift work is independently related to increased serum UA in males.
Keywords Lifestyle; longitudinal study; occupational health; pooled logistic regression analysis; shift work, uric acid; working conditions
Correspondence to: Mirei Uetani, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuohku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. e-mail: muetani{at}faculty.chiba-u.jp