Research has unveiled a concerning connection between being a “night owl” or having an “evening chronotype” – characterized by staying up late and waking up later – and a 19% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to early risers.
The study also sheds light on the fact that women with this sleep pattern are more likely to lead unhealthy lifestyles.
According to Tianyi Huang, an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospitals’ Channing Division of Network Medicine in the US, chronotype, or circadian preference, is a person’s genetically influenced sleep and waking timing, making it challenging to alter.
Huang stressed that those identifying as “night owls” should be especially mindful of their lifestyle choices due to the added diabetes risk associated with their evening chronotype.
This research involved an extensive analysis of data collected from nearly 64,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study II, a major investigation into risk factors for chronic diseases in women in the US.
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Data spanning from 2009 to 2017 encompassed participant-provided information regarding various factors such as sleep patterns, dietary habits, weight, body mass index (BMI), sleep routines, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels, and family history of diabetes. The researchers also scrutinized medical records to identify diabetes cases.
Out of the study participants, approximately 11% acknowledged having a distinct evening chronotype, while around 35% classified themselves as morning people.
The remaining individuals fell into the intermediate category, signifying neither a preference for morning nor evening.
After factoring in lifestyle elements, the researchers discovered a 19% increased diabetes risk associated with an evening chronotype.
Remarkably, only 6% of individuals maintaining the healthiest lifestyles identified as evening chronotypes, in stark contrast to 25% of night owls who reported living unhealthy lives.
The study also unveiled that evening chronotypes displayed a greater inclination to consume higher quantities of alcohol, maintain lower-quality dietary habits, sleep fewer hours per night, engage in current smoking, and display unhealthy weight, BMI, and physical activity levels.
Dr. Sina Kianersi, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Channing Division of Network Medicine, elucidated that even after accounting for unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, a substantial link between chronotype and diabetes risk persisted, underscoring the role of lifestyle factors without entirely explaining the association.
Additionally, the researchers discerned that the relationship between evening chronotype and diabetes risk was more pronounced in nurses working day shifts rather than night shifts, implying that personalized work schedules could be advantageous in managing health risks.
This study has spurred further investigations into the genetic origins of chronotype and its potential connections with heart disease. Dr. Kianersi pointed out that if a causal link between chronotype and diseases such as diabetes can be established, physicians may be better equipped to tailor prevention strategies for their patients. These findings have been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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