[CONSISTENT Zs] Irregular sleep patterns boost diabetes risk
Getting consistent sleep could help stave off type 2 diabetes, new research suggests. A study led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, analyzed sleep patterns over the course of seven nights and then followed participants for more than seven years. The researchers discovered that irregular sleep durations were associated with increased risk of diabetes, with individuals with the greatest irregular patterns having a 34% higher diabetes risk than their counterparts. The findings suggest the importance of regular sleep for diabetes prevention.
To investigate, researchers analyzed accelerometry data from more than 84,000 participants in the UK Biobank Study. Participants were an average age of 62 years (57% female, 97% white) and were initially free of diabetes. They wore accelerometers—devices like watches that monitor movement—for seven nights, and they were followed for approximately 7.5 years, tracking diabetes development mostly through medical records.
More irregular sleep duration was associated with higher diabetes risk after adjusting for a wide range of risk factors. This association was more pronounced in individuals with longer sleep duration.
“Our findings have the potential to improve diabetes prevention on multiple levels,” said lead author Sina Kianersi, PhD. “Clinically, they might inform better patient care and treatment plans. Public health guidelines could promote regular sleep patterns. However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanism and confirm the results in other populations."
To download the study, published in Diabetes Care, click here
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