 The results of this study suggest that metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of long-term sickness absence among Japanese workers. Specifically, individuals with metabolic syndrome are at higher risk of developing long-term sickness absence due to various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity-related cancer, mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders, reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders, and external causes. Additionally, the number of metabolic syndrome components was found to be significantly associated with increased long-term sickness absence risk. This article was authored by Dong Vihong, Shamima actor, Yosuke Inoue, and others.