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A recent study reveals that healthier sleep is associated with significantly lower odds of developing a wide range of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, irrespective of genetic susceptibility.
The research, presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024 annual meeting, examined the relationship between sleep quality and digestive disorders in a prospective cohort study involving 410,586 participants from the UK Biobank. Given the global prevalence of sleep issues and the increasing burden of digestive diseases, the findings offer important insights into potential preventive measures.
Methodology
Researchers assessed five individual sleep behaviors: sleep duration, insomnia, snoring, daytime sleepiness, and chronotype. Healthy sleep was characterized by a morning chronotype, 7-8 hours of sleep per night, no self-reported snoring, rare or no insomnia, and low frequency of daytime sleepiness, earning a perfect score of 5/5.
The participants were monitored for the development of 16 digestive diseases over an average period of 13.2 years. The study also considered genetic susceptibility to GI conditions.
Key Findings
Participants with a healthy sleep score had a 28% lower risk of developing any digestive disease compared to those with the lowest sleep score (hazard ratio [HR], 0.72; 95% CI, 0.69-0.75). Notably, the reduction in risk was most pronounced for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with a 50% lower risk (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.45-0.57).
Additionally, a healthy sleep score was linked to:
- 37% reduced odds of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.55-0.71),
- 35% lower chance of peptic ulcer (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.58-0.74),
- 34% reduced risk of dyspepsia (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.58-0.75), and
- 25% lower risk of diverticulosis (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.71-0.80).
The study also noted that high genetic risk combined with poor sleep scores resulted in significantly increased odds (53% to over 200%) of developing digestive diseases. However, healthy sleep reduced the risk for these diseases regardless of genetic predisposition.
Implications for Clinical Practice
“Our findings underscore the potential holistic impact of different sleep behaviors in mitigating the risk of digestive diseases in clinical practice,” stated Shiyi Yu, MD, of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China, and the study’s lead author.
Dr. Yu emphasized the importance of sleep for gut health, explaining to Medscape Medical News that poor sleep can alter the gut microbiome and hinder the repair of the gut lining, which normally occurs during the night.
Conclusion
The study highlights the critical role of healthy sleep in reducing the risk of various gastrointestinal conditions. These findings could inform future guidelines and interventions aimed at improving sleep quality as a means to prevent digestive diseases.
Source
The study was presented on May 20 at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024 annual meeting.
Disclosures
Dr. Shiyi Yu reported no relevant financial disclosures.
