What are the causes of diabetes, most people respond less healthy diet and excess intake of glucose in the body. Particularly lack of exercise behavior that causes glucose in the body accumulate deposits so as disrupting insulin hormone. Apparently there is a trivial matter and can lead to diabetes, namely 'lack of sleep'. Recent research again shows the relationship between lack of sleep and the risk of diabetes. In their research, scientists from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found, inconsistent sleep schedule or sleep deprivation can increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
When the studies, researchers monitored 21 healthy people, who all live in a sleep laboratory for nearly six weeks, in which the cycles of sleep, diet and activity are all controlled by the researcher.
Research has shown that participants are only allowed to sleep for about six hours a night and experienced a shift in the cycle sleep / wake has a blood glucose level is higher and tends to slow down the metabolic process.
"The level of glucose is higher for long periods of time on some of the participants could be increased to pre-diabetes," said the researcher. These findings were published on 11 April 2012 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
"There are many things that play a role regarding the relationship between lack of sleep and obesity," said Dr. Vivian Fonseca, chief of endocrinology at Tulane University School of Medicine, who was not involved in this study. Fonseca said the latest study shows that the levels of hormones in the body of a person likely to be altered by lack of sleep. This could help explain why those who sleep less are very prone to obesity.
Sleep and blood glucose relation
In the study, researchers conducted blood tests to measure levels of several hormones, including insulin, cortisol (stress related), and leptin and ghrelin (which relate to regulate appetite). They found that disrupted sleep schedules cause a decrease in 32 percent of the amount of insulin released in the body after eating. Insulin is a key hormone in the regulation of blood glucose.
"The decline in insulin levels is one explanation of how the disruption or lack of sleep can cause diabetes," said Lisa Rafalson, a professor of pediatrics and family medicine at the University at Buffalo. Rafalson revealed an increase in stress hormones that kept awake the body can cause hormonal imbalances.
"Insulin can not perform their duties efficiently, so you end up getting the remaining excess glucose in the bloodstream," he said.
While the latest findings, the researchers did not notice any changes in hormone levels gheriln (which increases appetite) on the sleep-deprived participants. Whereas some previous studies showed that sleep deprivation can lead to higher levels of the hormone ghrelin and leptin are lower.