A recent study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society suggests that individuals with type 2 diabetes who sleep longer may face a heightened risk of developing or worsening diabetic kidney disease. Diabetic nephropathy, a serious condition arising from long-term damage due to diabetes, affects approximately 30% to 40% of those with the disease and is associated with a higher likelihood of end-stage kidney failure and cardiovascular issues.
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Tomoya Mita, M.D., Ph.D., from Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo, emphasized that while the study indicates a link between longer sleep duration and the potential for kidney complications, it does not imply that extended sleep directly causes kidney disease. Mita advised that the findings should not discourage individuals from sleeping adequately, as the study's observational nature limits the ability to establish causality.
The researchers examined 678 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes over approximately six years, finding that longer sleep was correlated with a greater likelihood of developing or worsening diabetic nephropathy, especially among older patients and those displaying signs of kidney issues, such as microalbuminuria or reduced kidney function.
Mita noted that the observed longer sleep may serve as an indicator of underlying health vulnerabilities rather than a direct cause of disease.
Other contributors to the study included Fuki Ikeda, Yusuke Osonoi, Yuki Someya, Shiho Nakayama, and Hirotaka Watada from Juntendo University, along with Takeshi Osonoi, Miyoko Saito, and Hidenori Ishida from Naka Kinen Clinic in Ibaraki, Japan, and Ryota Ishii and Masahiko Gosho from the University of Tsukuba.
The research was funded by the Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation.