Alterations in cardiovascular biomarkers and gut microbiome associated with night shift work: Insights from the Chinese platform workers study.

Night shift drivers exhibited significantly higher levels of NT-pro-BNP compared to day shift drivers.

• Median NT-pro-BNP was 49.8 ng/L in night shift drivers vs. 41.3 ng/L in day shift drivers (P = 0.044)
• The association remained significant after adjustment for covariates (β = 0.195, P = 0.004)
• NT-pro-BNP is a key cardiovascular biomarker assessed in this study
• Study population consisted of 66 night shift and 175 day shift ride-hailing drivers in Beijing, China

Twenty differentially abundant gut microbial taxa were identified between night shift and day shift drivers.

• Four of the twenty differentially abundant taxa were significantly associated with hs-cTnI (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I)
• Gut microbiome profiling was conducted via 16S rDNA sequencing of fecal samples
• Bioinformatics, linear regression, and mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate associations
• Analyses were adjusted for key sociodemographic and lifestyle factors

Night shift work was associated with alterations in early cardiovascular injury biomarkers including hs-cTnI, ET-1, NT-pro-BNP, and FABP-3.

• Four key cardiovascular biomarkers were assessed: high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), endothelin-1 (ET-1), NT-pro-BNP, and fatty acid binding protein-3 (FABP-3)
• NT-pro-BNP showed a statistically significant association with night shift work after covariate adjustment
• The study design was cross-sectional, comparing 66 night shift and 175 day shift ride-hailing drivers
• Blood tests were used for biomarker assessment as part of health examinations

Correlation analysis suggested that gut microbial changes were linked to observed cardiovascular risk in night shift workers.

• Mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between night shift work, biomarkers, and microbial taxa
• Four differentially abundant microbial taxa were significantly associated with hs-cTnI levels
• The study suggests a potential link between gut microbiota and night-shift-related cardiovascular injury
• Findings support the interplay between circadian rhythm disruption, gut microbiome, and cardiovascular biomarker changes

The study population consisted of platform workers (ride-hailing drivers) in Beijing, representing a growing segment of gig economy workers commonly engaged in non-standard shift schedules.

• 66 night shift and 175 day shift ride-hailing drivers were enrolled in the cross-sectional study
• Night shift work is common among platform workers due to non-standard scheduling in the gig economy
• All participants underwent health examinations and provided both blood and fecal samples
• Night shift work was already known to disrupt circadian rhythms and elevate cardiovascular risks prior to this study