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Sleep disturbances and insulin resistance
1Sleep, Metabolism and Health Center, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. evcauter@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Diabetic Medicine : a Journal of the British Diabetic Association
|September 29, 2011
Summary
Sleep disturbances like insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality, and sleep apnea are independent risk factors for insulin resistance. These factors contribute significantly to unexplained variability in insulin resistance, impacting metabolic health.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Sleep Medicine
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Insulin resistance (IR) causes remain incompletely understood, with known factors like adiposity, age, sex, and race/ethnicity explaining only half of individual variability.
- Emerging evidence highlights sleep disturbances as potential independent risk factors for IR development and exacerbation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and summarize current evidence linking major sleep disturbances to insulin resistance.
- To examine the roles of insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality/insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in IR.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature on sleep disturbances and insulin resistance.
- Analysis of the impact of insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality/insomnia, and OSA on metabolic parameters.
- Specific focus on OSA's role in the context of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Main Results:
- Sleep disturbances, including insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality, insomnia, and OSA, are increasingly recognized as independent risk factors for insulin resistance.
- These sleep issues contribute significantly to the unexplained portion of individual variability in insulin resistance.
- Obstructive sleep apnea is particularly relevant to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome.
Conclusions:
- Sleep disturbances represent a critical, yet often overlooked, factor in the etiology and management of insulin resistance.
- Addressing sleep problems may offer a novel therapeutic target for preventing and treating insulin resistance and associated metabolic disorders, including those in PCOS.
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