The Big Picture: Dr. Puja Uppal says, “Staying up late has more than one health problem associated with it!”
Doctor’s Expert Insights About Staying Up Late and Diabetes Health in Georgia
Know this: “If you’re a night owl, it’s time to wise up about your health. Pun intended! This new study continues to support what we’ve known for some time. People who have an evening chronotype have higher risks of unhealthy habits like poor diet and inactivity. Both of these increase your risk of getting diabetes. Unfortunately, in our busy world, some people have to be night owls. As such, I recommend that night owls remain extra vigilant about lifestyle choices. And this includes watching what you eat during those long nights. If you can, stick to a regular sleep schedule, avoid late-night snacks, find time for exercise, and, try to consume heavy servings of vegetables and fiber. Making smart choices can help mitigate your increased diabetes risk if you’re prone to staying up late at night.” Dr. Adriana Davis, Family Medicine.
Beyond the News: Research like this may lead to new guidelines in which the healthcare system may need to consider chronotype when assessing and advising patients about diabetes risk factors.
Health Alert for Atlanta
Key Drivers in DeKalb County:
The study examined whether the increased risk of type 2 diabetes seen in night owls is explained by unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Researchers followed over 63,000 nurses for a period of 8 years.
Night owls had a 54% higher likelihood of unhealthy behaviors like poor diet, inactivity, smoking, and short sleep schedules.
Night owls had a 72% higher risk of developing diabetes than early birds. Interestingly, even after adjusting for demographics and work schedules, the data showed that night owls had a 19% higher diabetes risk–when compared to early birds. This is significant.
The study was limited by self-reported data, mostly white female participants, and assessing chronotype with a single question.
What they’re saying: “Further adjustment for BMI, physical activity, and diet quality attenuated the association comparing the “definite evening” and “definite morning” chronotypes to 1.31 (CI, 1.13 to 1.50), 1.54 (CI, 1.34 to 1.77), and 1.59 (CI, 1.38 to 1.83), respectively. Accounting for all measured lifestyle and sociodemographic factors resulted in a reduced but still positive association (HR comparing “definite evening” vs. “definite morning” chronotype, 1.19 [CI, 1.03 to 1.37]).” (Study Source)
“Middle-aged nurses with an evening chronotype were more likely to report unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and had increased diabetes risk compared with those with a morning chronotype. Accounting for BMI, physical activity, diet, and other modifiable lifestyle factors attenuated much but not all of the increased diabetes risk.” (Ibid.)
Health Standard Newswire: Staying Up late can have a negative impact on your overall health.
Living in Georgia, the following sleep health facts impact you directly!
Did you know there were 2943.0 deaths from diabetes in Georgia in 2021?
16.1% of you in DeKalb County are depressed.
3.0% of you in DeKalb County have chronic kidney disease.
39.8% of you in DeKalb County are sleeping less than 7 hours each night.
All of these variables above play an important role in the outcomes of your overall health.
The Health Standard Newswire
