Being a night owl and having an evening chronotype increases the risk of diabetes by 19% compared to early risers, according to research.
New research has suggested that being a ‘night owl’ or having an ‘evening chronotype’ – meaning going to bed and getting up late – increases the risk of diabetes by 19% compared to being an early riser.
Sleep pattern
Researchers have found that women with this sleep pattern are more likely to lead unhealthy lifestyles.
Tianyi Huang, an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospitals’ Channing Division of Network Medicine in the US said: “Chronotype, or circadian preference, refers to a person’s preferred timing of sleep and wakefulness and is partially genetic so that it can be difficult. alter.”
“People who think they are ‘night owls’ may need to pay more attention to their lifestyle, as their evening chronotype may increase their risk of type 2 diabetes.
The researchers analyzed data collected from nearly 64,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II — one of the largest studies of risk factors for major chronic diseases in women in the U.S. — between 2009 and 2017.
The study included information provided by participants on a range of factors, including their own sleep patterns, eating habits, weight and body mass index, sleep patterns, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels, and family history of diabetes.
The team also looked at medical records to see if the women had diabetes.
Of those who participated in the study, 11% reported having a certain evening chronotype, and about 35% reported a certain morning chronotype.
The rest were labeled as intermediate, meaning they were not identified as either a morning person or an evening person.
After accounting for lifestyle factors, an evening chronotype was associated with a 19% increased risk of diabetes, the researchers said.
Among those with the healthiest lifestyles, only 6% had an evening chronotype, compared to 25% of night owls who reported having an unhealthy lifestyle.
The team noted that individuals with an evening chronotype were also more likely to consume more alcohol, maintain a lower quality dietary intake, get fewer hours of nightly sleep, engage in current smoking habits, and exhibit unhealthy weight, BMI, and physical fitness—activity levels.
Dr. Sina Kianersi, a postdoctoral researcher in the Channing Division of Network Medicine, explained: “When we controlled for unhealthy lifestyles, the strong association between chronotype and diabetes risk was reduced but remained, suggesting that lifestyle factors explain a proportion of the association.”
The association between evening chronotype and diabetes risk was stronger in nurses who worked day shifts than night shift workers, “suggesting that personalized work scheduling could be beneficial,” according to the researchers.
Scientists are now preparing to investigate the genetic origins of chronotype and its potential links to heart disease.
Dr. Kianersi said: “If we are able to determine a causal link between chronotype and diabetes or other diseases, doctors could better tailor preventive strategies for their patients.”
The findings are published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
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