Frontline: Insomnia and memory; Heart disease and sleep; Type 2 diabetes
Insomnia Sufferers More Likely to Report Memory Problems
Canadian researchers have found that insomnia is linked with a higher incidence of self-reported memory decline. For this study, participants were classified as having insomnia if they reported difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early three nights a week over a period of three months, as well as having difficulties functioning during the daytime due to insomnia. The study, which was published in the November 2022 issue of the journal Sleep, was based on data from more than 26,000 adults, ages 45 to 85, who participated in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. The researchers analyzed the participants’ self-reported evaluations of sleep and memory, and discovered that participants who met the criteria for insomnia reported having more problems with memory than those who did not have insomnia. Participants who reported worsening sleep quality during the three-year study period also were more likely to report subjective memory decline.
Lower Risks of Heart Disease, Stroke Linked with Better Sleep
The more positive sleep characteristics you have, the less likely you are to develop coronary heart disease (CHD) or suffer a stroke, researchers report. They analyzed data on 7,200 people, ages 50 to 75, who were scored on five positive sleep habits: sleeping seven to eight hours a night, never/rarely having insomnia, being a morning person, and having no sleep apnea or frequent excessive daytime sleepiness. During a median follow-up period of eight years, 274 of the study participants developed CHD or stroke. After adjusting for several factors, the investigators found that each positive sleep habit was associated with a 22 percent lower risk of CHD or stroke when the study began; having all five correlated with a 75 percent reduced risk, compared with having zero or one. Moreover, with each positive sleep habit added over time, the risk of CHD and stroke fell by 7 percent, the study found. The research was presented at the 2022 European Society of Cardiology Congress.
Put Type 2 Diabetes Into Remission with Diet and Exercise
People with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes who followed specific dietary and exercise guidelines achieved significant health benefits in a six-month period, including lower blood glucose levels, less insulin resistance, weight loss, and a reduced waist circumference. Among the participants who had type 2 diabetes, 41.3 percent achieved partial remission (an A1C level of less than 6.5 percent for at least three months), and 5.4 percent achieved complete remission (an A1C of less than 5.7 percent for at least three months). Among participants with prediabetes, 24 percent achieved complete remission. Participants completed six nutritional counseling visits and three personalized physical exercise visits. These findings were presented in 2022 at the American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress.
The post Frontline: Insomnia and memory; Heart disease and sleep; Type 2 diabetes appeared first on University Health News.
Read Original Article: Frontline: Insomnia and memory; Heart disease and sleep; Type 2 diabetes »
