WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A recent study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that inconsistent sleep patterns can significantly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The lead author, Sina Kianersi from Brigham and Women's Hospital said, 'Our findings underscore the importance of consistent sleep patterns as a strategy to reduce type 2 diabetes.'
To investigate the link between sleep patterns and type 2 diabetes, researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank Study, which included accelerometry data from more than 84,000 participants. Participants whose average age was 62, wore accelerometers for a week to monitor their movement and were tracked for about 7.5 years to detect the onset of diabetes using medical records.
The study revealed that individuals with varying sleep durations of more than an hour from night to night faced a 34% higher risk of developing diabetes. This association was particularly significant among those who slept longer and had a lower genetic risk for the disease.
The research team acknowledged certain limitations, such as the lifestyle data being collected up to five years before the accelerometer study, which could have influenced the accuracy of the results. Additionally, the one-week sleep assessment may not fully capture long-term sleep behaviors. Despite these limitations, the researchers found that the increased risk remained significant, even after accounting for lifestyle factors, co-existing health conditions, family history, and obesity indicators.
Kianersi noted that the results could improve diabetes prevention efforts by guiding better patient care and treatment approaches, as well as by informing public health recommendations to promote consistent sleep patterns. However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms involved and to confirm these findings across different demographics.
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