Problems sleeping? You could be at risk for type 2 diabetes

Abstract: Those who report sleep problems are at increased risk of poor cardiometabolic health problems that can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Source: University of South Australia

As the Christmas season begins to progress, researchers from the University of South Australia are reminding people to prioritize a good night’s sleep as new research shows that poor sleep can be linked to risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

In the first study of its kind, researchers found that people who reported sleep problems were, on average, more likely to have indicators of poor cardiometabolic health — inflammatory markers, cholesterol and body weight — that can contribute to type 2 diabetes.

In Australia, almost one million adults have type 2 diabetes. Globally, type 2 diabetes affects more than 422 million people.

UniSA researcher Lisa Matricciani says different aspects of sleep are associated with risk factors for diabetes.

“Everyone knows that sleep is important. But when we think about sleep, we mostly focus on how many hours we sleep, when we should also be looking at our sleep experience as a whole,” says Dr. Matricciani.

“How soundly we sleep, when we go to bed and when we get up, and how regular our sleep habits are, can be just as important as how long we sleep.”

“In this study, we examined the association between different aspects of sleep and risk factors for diabetes and found a link between those who had sleep problems and those who were at risk of type 2 diabetes.”

The study assessed more than 1,000 Australian adults* with an average age of 44.8 years. The researchers examined a range of sleep characteristics: self-reported sleep problems, duration, timing, efficiency, and day-to-day variability of sleep length.

“People who reported having trouble sleeping were also more likely to have a higher body mass index, as well as blood markers of cholesterol and inflammation,” says Dr. Matricciani.

“When it comes down to it, we know we have to prioritize our sleep in order to stay in good health. More research is needed, but as this study shows, it’s important to think about sleep as a whole, not just one aspect.”

About this news about sleep and diabetes research

Author: Annabel Mansfield
Source: University of South Australia
Contact: Annabel Mansfield – University of South Australia
Picture: The image is in the public domain

Original research: Closed access.
“Multidimensional sleep and cardiometabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes: Examining self-report and objective dimensions of sleepby Lisa Matricciani et al. The science of diabetes self-management and care

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Abstract

Multidimensional sleep and cardiometabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes: Examining self-report and objective dimensions of sleep

Purpose:

The purpose of the study was to determine the association between objective and self-report measures of sleep and cardiometabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Methods:

This study examines data on Australian adults, collected as part of the Child Health CheckPoint study. Sleep was examined in terms of sleep duration obtained by actigraphy, time, efficiency and variability; they themselves report sleep problems. Cardiometabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes were examined in terms of body mass index and biomarkers of inflammation and dyslipidemia. Generalized estimating equations, adjusted for geographic grouping, were used to determine associations between sleep measures and cardiometabolic risk factors.

The results:

A complete case analysis was performed for 1017 parents (87% of mothers). Both objective measures of sleep and self-report measures of sleep were significantly but weakly associated with cardiometabolic risk factors.

Conclusion:

Both objective measures of sleep and self-report measures of sleep are significantly associated with cardiometabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Self-reported sleep disturbance is associated with poorer cardiometabolic health, independent of actigraphy-derived sleep parameters.