Lack Of Sleep Causes Diabetes Risk

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 21 Sep 2011 - 19:00 PDT


An article by the American Diabetes Association in Diabetes Care links lack of sleep to higher blood sugar levels and thus possible type 2 diabetes risk.

Researchers say they are uncertain whether lack of adequate sleep causes changes in the regulation of blood sugar, the body's sensitivity to insulin, or if insulin secretion is reduced, however the results clearly showed higher blood sugar levels are present in individuals who have not had a full night's rest.

The scientists studied a cross section of 62 obese adolescents at the Clinical Translational Research Centre and Sleep Laboratory in a Tertiary Care Children's Hospital with an average age of 14, who were monitored over a 36 hour period. The test subjects underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), anthropometric measurements, overnight polysomnography, and a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT).

Levels of insulin and blood sugar level were then calculated and compared with the amount of sleep the individual had had.

Dr. Dorit Koren, an author of the study and a pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia concluded:

"Our study found to keep glucose levels stable, the optimal amount of sleep for teenagers is 7.5 to 8.5 hours per night."

There were also some indications that lack of sleep decreases insulin production.

In future research Dr. Koren plans to look at teenagers in their home environment. Funding for the study was provided by the Pennsylvania State Tobacco Settlement Fund and the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Center for Research Resources.

Dr Koren said:

"In the meantime, our study reinforces the idea that getting adequate sleep in adolescence may help protect against type 2 diabetes,"

Written by Rupert Shepherd BSc.
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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