Disturbed day and night rhythm increases risk of type 2 diabetes



[ad_1]

A reversal of the diurnal and nocturnal rhythm, for example by shift work, causes a disturbance of the glycemic equilibrium. Scientists from the University of Maastricht have demonstrated it for the first time in humans. Their research has shown that a disturbance of the body clock results in lower sensitivity to insulin, an important indication for the development of type 2 diabetes. The findings of the research team of Maastricht, led by Professor Patrick Schrauwen, are published today in scientific journal PNAS ( Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences )

Economics of 24 hours

The study of Professor Schrauwen and his team enrolled in one of the most pressing questions of the National Science Program: what are the effects of the advancement of the 24 hours saving on people's health? This is not just about the traditional night work of nurses or police officers, for example. Nowadays, people are everywhere and always online, so they are activated throughout the day. People travel much more often than before between different time zones. A known unhealthy side effect is that people will sleep worse. In addition, disruptions in eating habits, obesity and the risk of developing cancer have already been associated with the growing violation of a natural sleep-wake cycle. According to research published today by scientists from Maastricht, it has now become clear that a disturbed rhythm of the day and night also plays a vital role in reducing the sensitivity to radiation. ;insulin. The reduced sensitivity to insulin is an important indication for the development of type 2 diabetes.

Respiratory chambers

For their research, scientists locked up 14 subjects every three days in the five special breathing chambers from the University of Maastricht. In these climatic chambers the subjects could not have contact with the outside world, there was no indication of the time, only artificial light and Netflix were available. They were served food and drinks through an airlock. After the first "normal" night, the researchers arranged to reverse the daytime and nighttime rhythm in the middle of the afternoon by letting the subjects sleep for a few hours after lunch. In the evening, they were then woken up for breakfast and followed a new full day. In the morning, then, dinner followed. This inverted day / night was then repeated again, after which various measurements took place. "With this unique design, we were able to measure subjects in the evening, but after sleeping from 6 to 7 hours," says Professor Schrauwen. "Using a so-called glucose clamp (gold standard for measuring insulin resistance, ed) And stable isotopes, we were able to accurately measure the sensitivity to the 39 Insulin of the liver and muscles By decreasing the muscle biopsies in the subjects, we then studied which processes in the muscle were exactly affected. "

Biological clock

The measurements of Maastricht scientists showed not only that the sensitivity to insulin in the muscles of the 14 subjects after stay in the breathing rooms had become significantly lower. Something remarkable happened to the subjects during the sudden reversal of the rhythm of day and night. "The biological clock is not just in our brain, but in every cell of our body," says researcher Jakob Wefers. "In our study, we discovered that this biological clock did not fit the new schedule; In muscle, we found that the molecular biological clock was still functioning in the old days. probably why the muscle also becomes less sensitive to insulin.And this could be another explanation for the increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people who work in teams. "Other research needs to show if the disruption Diurnal and nocturnal rhythm actually leads to type 2 diabetes.

Source: UM

Note from editors

When the rhythm of sleep is disturbed elsewhere in the body, all types of systems lose Balance and control temperature, fat content, sugars, blood pressure and stress hormones. disturbed, which in the long run can lead to cardiovascular disease and thus to type 2 diabetes. This involves damage to the heart and blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, feet and nerves.

without a disturbed sleep pattern

People with diabetes mellitus are already at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol plays a role in this. dig. People with diabetes often have too much cholesterol and other fats in their blood. This increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Scientific research has shown that obtaining cardiovascular disease is one of the most important risk factors for diabetes.

[ad_2]
Source link