Night Owls Face Higher Diabetes Risk, New Study Reveals
A recent study has uncovered a concerning link between being a night owl and an increased risk of developing type II diabetes. Researchers found that individuals who prefer to stay up late at night are approximately 20% more likely to develop diabetes compared to the general population.
The study, conducted by scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospitals’ Channing Division of Network Medicine in the US, explored the concept of chronotype, which refers to a person’s preferred sleep and waking schedule. This preference is partly influenced by genetics, making it challenging to alter.
Tianyi Huang, an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, emphasized the importance of lifestyle adjustments for individuals who identify as night owls. He suggests that they need to be more mindful of their habits as their evening chronotype may heighten the risk of type II diabetes.
To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 64,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II conducted between 2009 to 2017. The participants provided information on their sleep habits, diet, weight, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption, physical activity levels, and family history of diabetes. Additionally, medical records were examined to identify participants with diabetes.
Of the participants, approximately 11% reported an evening chronotype, while 35% identified as morning people. The remainder fell into the intermediate category, not strongly aligned with either chronotype. After considering lifestyle factors, the researchers observed that individuals with an evening preference faced a 19% higher risk of developing diabetes.
Interestingly, those with healthier lifestyles were less likely to identify as night owls. A mere 6% of participants who reported a healthy lifestyle fell into the evening chronotype, compared to 25% of individuals with unhealthy habits. Evening chronotypes were more prone to consuming alcohol in larger quantities, maintaining poor-quality diets, obtaining fewer hours of sleep, smoking, and displaying unhealthy weight, body mass index, and physical activity levels.
Dr. Sina Kianersi, a postdoctoral research fellow involved in the study, highlighted the role of lifestyle behaviors in the association between chronotype and diabetes risk. Although the influence reduced when lifestyle factors were considered, there was still a notable correlation, suggesting that other factors may contribute to the link.
Interestingly, the connection between evening chronotypes and diabetes risk appeared stronger among nurses working day shifts compared to those on night shifts. The researchers propose the implementation of personalized work scheduling to potentially alleviate this risk.
Building upon these findings, scientists plan to explore the genetic factors influencing chronotype and its potential association with heart disease. If a causal relationship between chronotype and diabetes or other diseases can be established, it could enable physicians to develop more tailored prevention strategies for their patients.
The study’s outcomes have been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, urging individuals to be cautious about their sleep habits and empower themselves with healthier lifestyle choices to mitigate the risk of developing type II diabetes.
