Sleep deprivation increases the risk of chronic disease

A new study warns that sleep deprivation increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, even for those who eat healthily.

The results showed that adults who sleep only three to five hours per night are most at risk of developing the disease.

Scientists from Uppsala University in Sweden found that chronic sleep deprivation cannot be compensated for by healthy eating alone.

“I generally recommend prioritizing sleep,” says Professor Christian Benedict, associate professor and sleep researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences at Uppsala University and lead researcher on the study.

Type 2 diabetes affects the body's ability to process sugar, leading to high blood sugar levels. In some cases, the body does not produce enough insulin, which is the hormone that helps regulate blood glucose, and in other cases, the body becomes resistant to it.

A report from 2020 showed that more than 462 million people suffer from the disease. Over time, this chronic disease can cause serious damage, especially to nerves and blood vessels, and represents a growing public health problem worldwide.

Diana Noga, a sleep researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences at Uppsala University, said: “Previous research has shown that frequent short sleep increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while healthy eating habits, such as eating fruits and vegetables regularly can reduce the risk.” .

Therefore, researchers studied whether those who sleep very little are able to lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by eating healthy food.

The researchers analyzed information from the UK Biobank, where nearly half a million participants from the UK were genetically mapped as well as questions about health and lifestyle.

They followed the participants for more than 10 years and found that sleep duration of three to five hours was associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study found that those who ate a healthy diet but slept less than six hours a day were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Professor Benedict emphasized: “Our results are the first to ask whether a healthy diet can compensate for poor sleep in terms of type 2 diabetes risk. They should not raise concern, but should instead be seen as a reminder that sleep plays an important role in An important role in health.”

The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.