A recent study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts reveals that “night owls” are 19% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to their “early bird” counterparts.
The research focused on chronotypes, which determine an individual’s preferred time of day and found that those with an “evening” chronotype had a 54% higher likelihood of adopting unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking and lack of physical activity, contributing to their increased diabetes risk.
The study, involving 63,676 nurses aged 45 to 62, tracked participants every two years from 2009 to 2017, identifying 11% as “definite evening” types and 35% as “definite morning” types. The findings highlight the influence of lifestyle choices, such as diet, exercise, and sleep patterns, on diabetes risk, particularly among those inclined towards evening activities.
Experts suggest that chronotypes may be influenced by genetics, lifestyle choices, or work conditions, and could potentially be altered through re-training the body.
Strategies to shift from an evening to a morning chronotype might include adjusting exposure to light, meal times, and physical activity to align better with the body’s natural circadian rhythms, thus reducing the risk of metabolic disorders like diabetes.
This study, along with its accompanying editorial, emphasizes the complex interplay between our biological clocks, lifestyle habits, and health outcomes, suggesting a need for further research to fully understand the implications of chronotypes on diseases like diabetes.
The possibility of re-training one’s chronotype offers a proactive approach for “night owls” to mitigate their increased risk of developing diabetes.
Source: Medical News Today
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