Sleep Duration, Diet, and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: UK Biobank Study Reveals Short Sleep's Impact

A large UK Biobank study by the JAMA Network Open investigated how sleep duration and diet affect the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). The study found that short sleep (less than 7-8 hours per night) significantly increased T2D risk, even for people who reported following a healthy diet low in red meat and processed meats and high in fruits, vegetables, and fish. While a healthy diet offered some overall protection against T2D, it couldn't completely compensate for the negative effects of short sleep. Interestingly, regular physical activity might help lessen the impact of short sleep on T2D risk.

Key Findings:

• Short sleep (less than 7-8 hours per night) is linked to a higher risk of T2D, even for those with a healthy diet.

• Exercise may help mitigate the negative effects of short sleep on T2D risk.

• Healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet may reduce T2D risk overall, but may not completely counteract the risk from short sleep.

• Underlying sleep disorders, like obstructive sleep apnea, might explain some of the associations between short sleep and T2D risk.

Limitations:

• The study relies on self-reported sleep and dietary data, which may be inaccurate.

• The study only looked at baseline data, not changes in habits over time.

• The results may not apply to all populations, as most participants were white.

Insufficient sleep is a growing public health concern linked to various chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study investigates the association between habitual sleep duration, dietary patterns, and T2D risk in a large UK Biobank cohort.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a global health concern, and modifiable lifestyle factors like sleep and diet play a crucial role in its prevention. This study explores the independent and combined effects of sleep duration and dietary habits on T2D risk in a large adult population.

Methods:

• This prospective cohort study utilized data from the UK Biobank, a population-based biobank with baseline information on participants aged 38–71 years.

• Self-reported sleep duration and dietary intake (red meat, processed meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables) were assessed at baseline.

• Participants were categorized into two dietary groups based on their risk of developing T2D based on their reported intake.

• The primary outcome was the incidence of T2D during follow-up.

Results:

This large prospective cohort study investigated the independent and combined associations of sleep duration and dietary patterns with the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in over 247,000 participants from the UK Biobank. Participants self-reported their sleep duration and dietary habits at baseline. Follow-up data on T2D diagnoses was collected for an average of 12.5 years.

• Short sleep duration is a significant risk factor for T2D. Compared to individuals reporting normal sleep duration (7-8 hours per night), those sleeping less than 6 hours per night exhibited a notably increased risk of developing T2D. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for T2D were 1.16 (95% CI: 1.05–1.28) for 5 hours of sleep and 1.41 (95% CI: 1.19–1.68) for 3–4 hours of sleep. Notably, there was no significant difference in T2D risk between normal sleep duration and 6 hours of sleep (adjusted HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.97-1.08). These findings are further visualized by Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrating a steeper rise in T2D incidence with progressively shorter sleep durations.

• Healthy dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of T2D. Participants with a score of 4 or 5 on the healthy diet scale (indicating the healthiest dietary patterns) had a substantially lower risk of developing T2D compared to those with the lowest healthy diet score . The adjusted HRs for T2D ranged from 0.75 (95% CI: 0.63-0.88) for the healthiest score (5 points) to 0.90 (95% CI: 0.76-1.06) for the least healthy score (1 point). This association is also depicted in the Kaplan-Meier curves, with a lower incidence of T2D observed for participants with healthier diets.

• No significant interaction between sleep duration and diet on T2D risk was observed. Contrary to initial hypotheses, analyses revealed no evidence of a multiplicative or additive interaction between sleep duration and a healthy diet score on T2D risk. Although both factors independently influenced T2D development, a healthy diet did not appear to significantly mitigate the increased risk associated with short sleep.

Alignment with Existing Literature:

These results align with previous studies demonstrating a positive association between short sleep duration (5.5 hours/day or less) and increased T2D risk (Nurses' Health Study II, Whitehall II Study). Potential mechanisms underlying this association include impaired cellular insulin sensitivity, altered skeletal muscle energy metabolism, increased sympathetic nervous system activity, and gut microbiota composition changes

Future research should :

• Explore the effectiveness of specific dietary patterns (e.g., time-restricted eating) in mitigating T2D risk among short sleepers.

• Utilize objective sleep and dietary measures for more accurate data.

• Include diverse populations for broader generalizability.

• Consider the potential influence of sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, which can contribute to both short sleep and T2D risk

Conclusion:

This study suggests that maintaining a healthy diet may not fully eliminate the increased T2D risk associated with short sleep duration. Future research should explore the potential of specific dietary interventions and objective sleep measurements in this context, particularly in individuals with coexisting sleep disorders.

Journal Reference

Nôga, D. A., Meth, E. M. E. S., Pacheco, A. P., Tan, X., Cedernaes, J., van Egmond, L. T., Xue, P., & Benedict, C. (2024). Habitual Short Sleep Duration, Diet, and Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Adults. JAMA network open, 7(3), e241147. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.1147

Related

https://healthnewstrend.com/diagnosed-young-with-diabetes-study-shows-lifespan-impact-heres-how-to-fight-back

https://healthnewstrend.com/type-2-diabetes-and-fatty-liver-disease-sglt2-inhibitors-show-promise-as-top-treatment

Medical Disclaimer

The information on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.