Diabetes Risk Increased Three-fold By More Than Eight Hours Sleep Per Night
March 28, 2006
Men who sleep too much or too little are at an increased risk of developing Type
2 diabetes, according to a study by the New England Research Institutes in
collaboration with Yale School of Medicine researchers.
The data published in the March issue of Diabetes Care were obtained from 1,709
men, 40 to 70 years old. The men were enrolled in the Massachusetts Male Aging
Study and were followed for 15 years with home visits, a health questionnaire
and blood samples.
Six to eight hours of sleep was found to be most healthy. In contrast, men who
reported they slept between five and six hours per night were twice as likely to
develop diabetes and men who slept more than eight hours per night were three
times as likely to develop diabetes, according to the lead author, H. Klar Yaggi,
M.D., professor in Yale's Department of Internal Medicine, pulmonary section.
Previous data from the Nurses Health Study have shown similar results in women.
"These elevated risks remained after adjustment for age, hypertension,
smoking status, self-rated health status and education," Yaggi said.
He said researchers are just beginning to recognize the hormonal and metabolic
implications of too little sleep. Among the documented effects, Yaggi said, are
striking alterations in metabolic and endocrine function including decreased
carbohydrate tolerance, insulin resistance, and lower levels of the hormone
leptin leading to obesity. The mechanisms by which long sleep duration increase
diabetes risk requires further investigation.
"There is a lot of interest in determining whether sleep disturbances such
as a reduced amount of sleep or disorders like sleep apnea may actually worsen
the metabolic syndrome," said Yaggi. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of
risk factors including high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol and
insulin resistance which increase the risk for heart disease and stroke.
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Co-authors include Andre Araujo and John McKinlay. The research was supported in
part by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Disorders, the Yale Mentored Clinical Research Scholars
Program from the National Center for Research Resources, and a career
development award from the Veterans Affairs Health Services and Research and
Development Service.
Contact: Jacqueline Weaver
jacqueline.weaver@yale.edu
Yale University