Type 2 diabetes is among the top 10 global leading causes of death and disability. The number of people around the world with the chronic condition is on pace to more than double to 1.3 billion by 2050 .
For this study, more than 84,000 UK residents wore accelerometers — devices like watches that monitor movement — for seven nights.
Poor sleep has long been known to be a major risk factor for diabetes. Sleep is important for blood sugar control, and high blood sugar is a hallmark of diabetes.
A March study found that people who sleep less than six hours a day have a “notably higher risk” of developing the disorder compared with those who slumber seven to eight hours.
Kianersi’s team acknowledged some limitations to their study, including that lifestyle information about the participants was collected up to five years before the accelerometer research began. Also, the seven-day sleep assessment does not capture long-term snooze patterns.
Since the study volunteers were mostly older, healthy and white, the researchers plan to test their theory on younger people and those with different racial backgrounds.
“Our findings have the potential to improve diabetes prevention on multiple levels,” Kianersi said.
“Clinically, they might inform better patient care and treatment plans. Public health guidelines could promote regular sleep patterns,” he continued. “However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanism and confirm the results in other populations.”
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