A study led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers has found that maintaining regular sleep patterns could significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Over the course of a week, the research team tracked the sleep patterns of participants and monitored their health for more than seven years. Their analysis revealed that individuals with the most irregular sleep schedules had a 34% higher likelihood of developing diabetes. The study was published in Diabetes Care.
“This research highlights a modifiable lifestyle factor that can help lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes,” said lead author Sina Kianersi, a research fellow at the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Type 2 diabetes, a condition affecting nearly half a billion people globally, is among the top 10 causes of death and disability. The number of people with diabetes is expected to more than double to 1.3 billion by 2050.
Study Overview
The research utilized data from over 84,000 participants in the U.K. Biobank Study, whose average age was 62 years (57% female, 97% white). These participants, initially free from diabetes, wore accelerometers—devices akin to watches—to monitor their movements for seven nights. Their health was tracked primarily through medical records for approximately 7½ years to identify the onset of diabetes.
The study aimed to address two main questions: whether irregular sleep durations contribute to diabetes development through circadian rhythm disruption and sleep disturbances, and if this association varies based on genetic predisposition to the disease.
Key Findings
After adjusting for various risk factors, the researchers found that irregular sleep durations were linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes. This risk was particularly notable among individuals with longer sleep durations and lower polygenic risk scores for the disease.
Data indicated that participants with irregular sleep patterns (where daily sleep duration varied by more than 60 minutes on average) had a 34% increased risk of developing diabetes compared to those with regular sleep patterns. This risk persisted even after accounting for lifestyle factors, co-morbidities, family history of diabetes, and obesity indicators.
Study Limitations
The study did have some limitations. Some lifestyle information was collected up to five years before the accelerometer study began, which might have influenced the accuracy of the results. Additionally, the assessment of sleep duration over seven days may not fully capture long-term sleep patterns. Moreover, the study’s participants were predominantly healthy, older, and white, which may limit the applicability of the findings to more diverse populations.
Future Research
The researchers plan to expand their studies to include younger and more racially diverse populations. They also aim to explore the biological mechanisms underlying the increased diabetes risk associated with sleep irregularity.
“Our findings have the potential to improve diabetes prevention on multiple levels,” Kianersi stated. “Clinically, they could inform better patient care and treatment plans. Public health guidelines might advocate for more regular sleep patterns. However, further research is essential to understand the mechanisms and confirm the results across different populations.”
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