A new study has found that people who work outside regular daytime hours—especially those on night shifts—have a higher chance of developing kidney stones.
The research showed that shift workers had a 15% greater risk of kidney stones, with younger workers and those doing less physical labor at the highest risk.
This study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, is the first large study to look closely at how shift work affects kidney stone risk. It used data from over 220,000 people who took part in the UK Biobank Study.
Participants were followed for almost 14 years on average, and researchers looked at the connection between different types and durations of shift work and kidney stone events.
Shift work includes working hours outside the usual 9-to-5 schedule, such as evening, overnight, or rotating shifts. While shift work is common in many jobs, it can disrupt the body’s internal clock—also known as the circadian rhythm—which controls sleep, hormone levels, and many other important functions.
Past research has linked shift work to heart disease, diabetes, and mental health problems, but its impact on kidney stones has rarely been studied.
Dr. Yin Yang, the lead author of the study from Sun Yat-sen University in China, explained that their research found a link between shift work and kidney stones.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor sleep, low fluid intake, and higher body weight also contributed to this risk. These factors partially explained why shift workers are more likely to develop kidney stones.
Interestingly, people who had worked shifts for a longer period had a slightly lower risk, possibly because healthier individuals tend to stay in the workforce longer or may adapt to the routine over time.
Kidney stones are small, hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys. They can be very painful and sometimes require hospital care. About 1% to 13% of people worldwide will develop kidney stones at some point, and the condition is linked to other serious health problems like heart disease and kidney failure.
Dr. Felix Knauf, a kidney specialist at the Mayo Clinic and author of an editorial on the study, explained that kidney stone formation is strongly influenced by the body’s natural clock. Shift work interrupts this clock, affecting how the body manages water and minerals—two key factors in the formation of kidney stones.
Dr. Knauf stressed that the highest risk was found in night shift workers. This group may benefit the most from better work schedule flexibility and efforts to support healthy habits at work.
Dr. Yang emphasized that the findings come at a time when there is growing concern about how shift work affects health. She believes employers can help by offering programs to encourage healthy behaviors such as drinking more water, maintaining a healthy weight, sleeping well, staying active, and avoiding smoking.
These workplace wellness efforts could help reduce the risk of kidney stones and improve the overall health of shift workers around the world.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about High blood pressure drugs may affect kidney health and findings of Effective home remedies for kidney infections.
For more health information, please read studies about important cause of kidney disease and Cruciferous vegetables may reverse kidney damage in diabetics.
The study is published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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