Late Sleepers Beware: Elevated Risk of Diabetes Linked to Evening Lifestyle Habits

by Tatsuya Nakamura
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cryptocurrency trends

Late Sleepers Beware: Elevated Risk of Diabetes Linked to Evening Lifestyle Habits

Individuals who are habitually active late into the night face an increased risk of developing diabetes. Lifestyle choices are cited as contributing elements, reveals a study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

A recent investigation spearheaded by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an affiliate of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, establishes that those with a tendency towards later bedtimes and wake-up times are more susceptible to developing diabetes. The study has been documented in the Annals of Internal Medicine and was published on September 12.

Tianyi Huang, MSc, ScD, the study’s corresponding author and an associate epidemiologist at Brigham’s Channing Division of Network Medicine, elaborated on the role of “chronotype,” a term that denotes an individual’s innate preference for sleep and wake times. Huang suggested that such biological tendencies, partially influenced by genetic factors, may be challenging to alter. “Individuals who self-identify as ‘night owls’ ought to be more vigilant about their lifestyle choices due to the increased risk for type 2 diabetes associated with evening chronotypes,” Huang advised.

Key Findings of the Study

The research team had previously identified a connection between irregular sleep patterns and elevated risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This particular study aimed to explore the relationship between one’s chronotype and diabetes risk, factoring in lifestyle considerations.

To conduct the study, the team scrutinized data from 63,676 female nurses involved in the Nurses’ Health Study II, which was compiled between 2009 and 2017. Parameters like self-reported chronotype, diet quality, weight, Body Mass Index, sleep timing, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and family history of diabetes were examined. Diabetes status was confirmed via both self-reports and medical records.

The Nurses’ Health Study II, a collaboration between Brigham’s Channing Division of Network Medicine and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is one of the most extensive studies that examine risk factors for chronic diseases in women. One of the strengths of this investigation is the consistent tracking and reassessment of participants’ health and lifestyle behaviors.

About 11 percent of study participants declared themselves to have a ‘definite evening’ chronotype, whereas approximately 35 percent claimed to have a ‘definite morning’ chronotype. The remaining participants were categorized as ‘intermediate,’ indicating a neutral or only slightly leaning tendency towards morning or evening schedules.

Before considering lifestyle factors, those with evening chronotypes had a 72 percent elevated risk of developing diabetes. After adjusting for lifestyle factors, this risk was reduced to 19 percent. Among participants with the healthiest lifestyles, only 6 percent were evening chronotypes, while 25 percent of those with unhealthy lifestyles had evening tendencies.

Individuals with evening chronotypes were also observed to engage in higher levels of alcohol consumption, maintain a low-quality diet, get fewer hours of sleep, be current smokers, and generally have poor physical activity, weight, and BMI indicators.

Implications and Further Research

Sina Kianersi, DVM, PhD, the study’s first author and a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham’s Channing Division of Network Medicine, noted that unhealthy lifestyle behaviors contributed significantly to the relationship between chronotype and diabetes risk, although the association still persisted after accounting for them.

Interestingly, the association was observed only among nurses who had daytime work schedules and not among those working night shifts. “Non-alignment of chronotype with work hours was associated with an escalation in the risk of type 2 diabetes,” Huang mentioned, suggesting that customized work schedules could be beneficial.

While the current study predominantly involved white female nurses, future research endeavors aim to ascertain if these patterns hold true across diverse populations. Kianersi also expressed an interest in examining the genetic factors influencing chronotype and its association with not only diabetes but also cardiovascular diseases, among larger, more varied groups.

References and Funding

The study, titled “Chronotype, Unhealthy Lifestyle, and Diabetes Risk in Middle-Aged U.S. Women: A Prospective Cohort Study,” was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on September 12, 2023, and carries the DOI: 10.7326/M23-0728. It was financed by the National Institutes of Health (U01CA176726 and R01HL155395).

Disclosures

One of the co-authors has disclosed receiving consulting fees from ApniMed Inc, Eli Lilly, and Jazz Pharma, in addition to receiving equipment for multicenter NIH research from Philips Respironics and Nox Medical.

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5 comments

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