A recent study published in JAMA Network Open has revealed critical insights into how sleep patterns influence the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among women who have had gestational diabetes (GD). This research underscores the importance of monitoring sleep health, as it may play a significant role in preventing the progression from GD to T2D.
The study focused on women with a history of GD, which affects between 2% and 30% of pregnancies globally and increases the likelihood of developing T2D later in life. GD causes insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction during pregnancy, conditions that often worsen over time, placing women at a higher risk of developing T2D much earlier than the general population.
Although various lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity have been studied as potential risk modifiers, the impact of sleep patterns on T2D risk in this group has remained underexplored. The study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating how sleep duration, sleepiness, and snoring frequency might influence long-term diabetes risk.
The study utilized data from the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS-II), which recruited female nurses. Participants were asked to report their sleep habits in 2001, including snoring frequency and average sleep duration. Sleep quality was then analyzed in relation to T2D risk over an average follow-up period of 17 years, involving nearly 2,900 women.
Key findings from the study include:
Short Sleep Duration: Women who slept six hours or less per night had a significantly higher risk of developing T2D compared to those who slept between seven to eight hours.
Snoring: Both occasional (1-2 nights per week) and regular snoring (3+ nights per week) were linked to higher T2D risk. Those who snored regularly and slept less than six hours had the highest risk, with a hazard ratio of 2.06.
Daytime Sleepiness: While daytime sleepiness was initially associated with increased diabetes risk, this association became insignificant once factors like BMI were taken into account.
Participants who snored more frequently were also found to have worse metabolic profiles, with higher levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin, and C-peptide. However, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness did not show significant associations with these biomarkers once other covariates were considered.
These findings emphasize the role of sleep health in the development of T2D in women with GD. Researchers suggest that managing sleep quality, especially snoring and sleep duration, should be part of strategies aimed at preventing the progression to type 2 diabetes. However, the study’s reliance on self-reported data may limit the accuracy of these conclusions, and further research is needed to confirm these associations.
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