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Late dinnertime does not affect HbA1c
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Maintaining a 2-hour separation between dinner and bedtime did not influence HbA1c levels in Japanese adults, according to findings published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.
“Some factors that contribute to increased HbA1c levels include the consumption of dinner late at night and short or long sleep durations,” Chiyori Haga, PHD, an associate professor of community health nursing at the Graduate School of Health Sciences at Okayama University in Okayama City, Japan, and colleagues wrote. “However, the effect of ensuring a 2-hour interval between dinner and sleep on HbA1c levels is currently unclear. There is no clear evidence supporting the appropriateness of ensuring such a 2-hour interval, and the corresponding effects on the human metabolic status are controversial.”
In an observational study of health checkup data from 2012 to 2014, Haga and colleagues examined what effect, if any, a gap of 2 hours or more between dinner and bedtime had on HbA1c levels in a cohort of 1,531 Japanese adults without prediabetes or diabetes (63.4% women) aged 40 to 75 years. All participants underwent a health examination between April 2012 and March 2014. During exams, participants completed a 22-item questionnaire that recorded smoking history, exercise habits, weight gain, speed of eating, alcohol intake and how often the respondent slept within 2 hours after dinner three times per week. HbA1c, fasting blood glucose and LDL cholesterol were all measured as well.
The researchers found that HbA1c levels increased over time, rising from a mean of 5.2% in 2012 to a mean of 5.58% in 2013, which was sustained in 2014. The researchers noted that the trajectory increased more substantially in participants who had higher HbA1c levels at baseline. Although this trajectory was present, the researchers did not find a significant effect between HbA1c and sleeping within 2 hours of consuming dinner.
“The main result was in contrast to our expectation, as sleeping within 2 hours after consuming dinner (short interval between dinner and bedtime) was reported to have no profound effect on HbA1c levels and other [metabolic syndrome] components,” the researchers wrote.
“Contrary to general belief, ensuring a short interval between the last meal of the day and bedtime did not significantly affect HbA1c levels,” the researchers wrote. “More attention should be paid to healthy portions and food components, getting adequate sleep, and avoiding smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight development, as these variables had a more profound influence on the metabolic process.” – by Phil Neuffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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