Dados do Trabalho

Título

The relation between shift work and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a scoping review.

Introdução

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disorder characterized by lipids’ accumulation in hepatocytes and may be associated with obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndromes, type 2 diabetes mellitus, genetic factors and environmental factors. Among these, recent studies highlighted that disturbances in the circadian timing system caused by shift work can impact on the metabolic homeostasis of the liver. Thus, as many studies reported that shift workers experienced chronic sleep deprivation, they may end up developing NAFLD. The risk of NAFLD has grown in society due to the increased demand for 24-hour services by globalization, which significantly exploits unusual working hours and disregards their effects on workers.

Objetivo

This study was carried out to assess the existing gaps and potentialities in this area of research, which seeks alternatives to improve shift workers' quality of life.

Métodos

The bibliographic search was carried out in the MedLine databases by "PubMed", "Lilacs", "Dedalus", "Busca de Dados USP" and "Busca Integrada" from 2014 to 2023 using the keywords "fatty liver", "night shift", "shift work" and "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease". 31 articles were found, their abstracts were evaluated by two reviewers to determine whether they met the study's objectives and, after careful analysis, their data was extracted and organized in a table. 15 articles were selected for full reading, following the PRISMA-ScR and the Methodological Framework.

Resultados

Of the articles analyzed, 7 mentioned shift work, which 3 cited alternating shift work as an independent predictor of high levels of NAFLD; 3 positively associated the disease with variables other than alternating shift work and in only one of the articles there was no association between shift work and the risk of NAFLD or metabolic syndrome. 8 studies did not mention shift work, but 2 linked the development of the disease to long working hours and 6 associated NAFLD with sleep disorders, such as short sleep duration, long nap times during the day, poor sleep quality, late bedtime and food consumption at night or before bedtime

Conclusões

The selected studies suggested a relationship between shift work and/or sleep disorders and the onset of NAFLD. However, the mechanisms of this association have not yet been clarified and more studies are needed in this area, especially experimental ones, including samples of men and women.

Palavras -chave

“shiftwork”, “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”, “sleep disorders”