Long‑Term Night Shift Work and Incident COPD Risk
Summary
This UK Biobank study followed 277,059 working adults for about 13 years to see whether long-term night-shift workwas linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Compared with day workers, people who rarely or sometimes worked nights had about a 28% higher risk of COPD, and those on permanent night shifts had about a 49% higher risk. Risk was higher with more years on nights (especially ≥10 years) and with more than 8 night shifts per month. The researchers also built a COPD-specific genetic risk score (GRS) and found an additive effect: people with permanent night shifts plus high genetic risk had about 90% higher risk than day workers with low genetic risk.
Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a serious lung condition. In this study, more frequent and longer exposure to night shifts was associated with a higher chance of developing COPD—especially for people with higher genetic susceptibility. If you work nights long-term, it’s worth:
- Monitoring lung health (spirometry checks, prompt evaluation of chronic cough or breathlessness),
- Reducing cumulative night-shift exposure where possible (fewer nights per month, fewer years on permanent nights),
- Doubling down on preventable risks (no smoking, good respiratory protection if exposed to dust/fumes).
Note: This was an observational study, so it shows associations—not proof of cause and effect.
Notes
Open access.