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Excessive daytime sleepiness, long naps related to increased risk for type 2 diabetes
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Excessive daytime sleepiness and long naps may increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, while short naps do not increase the risk, according to study findings presented at the 51st European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting.
In a meta-analysis of 10 studies published through November 2014 including 261,365 Western and Asian participants, researchers found that excessive daytime sleepiness and naps longer than 60 minutes per day each significantly increased the risk for type 2 diabetes by close to 50% when compared with absence of excessive sleepiness or long naps.
Tomohide Yamada, MD, PhD, of the department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at the University of Tokyo, Japan, and colleagues analyzed data from 10 studies conducted in Sweden (n = 2), Spain (n = 1), Finland (n = 1), Germany (n=2), the United States (n = 2) and China (n = 2). Excessive daytime sleepiness was defined as affirmative answers to questions that asked about problems with daytime sleepiness. Participants were also asked if they took a daytime nap or slept during the day.
In pooled analysis, participants who reported excessive daytime sleepiness had an RR of 1.56 (95% CI, 1.13-2.14); participants who reported taking a long daily nap had an RR of 1.46 (95% CI, 1.23-1.74).
Participants who reported taking a shorter daily nap (less than 40 minutes per day) did not have an increased risk for diabetes (RR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.75-1.21). Results were similar after stratifying by study location, quality and type.
“Excessive daytime sleepiness and taking longer naps could be a marker of type 2 diabetes,” Yamada told Endocrine Today. “Short naps might have a beneficial effect on diabetes, although we have to acknowledge the possibility of reverse causality, and the mechanisms are still unclear.”
Yamada noted that participants reporting longer daytime naps could be more likely to be ill and have various risk factors for diabetes, morbidity or mortality.
“A short nap might have the effect of improving an abnormal circadian rhythm and modifying a variety of endocrine abnormalities caused by sleep deprivation,” Yamada said. – by Regina Schaffer
For more information:
Yamada, T, et al. Abstract 940. Presented at: 51st EASD Annual Meeting; Sept. 14-18, 2015; Stockholm.
Disclosure: Yamada reports no relevant financial disclosures.