Short sleep duration and poor sleep quality increase the risk of diabetes in Japanese workers with no family history of diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether a difference in the risk for diabetes exists in Japanese workers with regard to sleep duration/quality and the presence or absence of a family history of diabetes (FHD).


METHODS
The researchers conducted a prospective, occupational-based study of local government employees in Sapporo, Japan. Between April 2003 and March 2004, 3,570 nondiabetic participants, aged 35-55 years, underwent annual health checkups and completed a self-administered questionnaire that included information on sleep duration/quality and FHD at baseline. Having diabetes was defined as taking medication for diabetes or a fasting plasma glucose level of ≥126 mg/dL at follow-up (2007-2008).


RESULTS
A total of 121 (3.4%) new cases of diabetes were reported. In multivariate logistic regression models of workers without an FHD, and after adjustment for potential confounding factors, the odds ratio (95% CI) for developing diabetes was 5.37 (1.38-20.91) in those with a sleep duration of ≤5 h compared with those with a sleep duration of >7 h. Other risk factors were awakening during the night (5.03 [1.43-17.64]), self-perceived insufficient sleep duration (6.76 [2.09-21.87]), and unsatisfactory overall quality of sleep (3.71 [1.37-10.07]). In subjects with an FHD, these associations were either absent or weaker.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study shows that poor sleep is associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes in workers without an FHD. Promoting healthy sleeping habits may be effective for preventing the development of diabetes in people without an FHD.
Department of Public Health Sciences, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. toshikok@med.hokudai.ac.jp
Toshiko
T
Kita
Eiji
E
Yoshioka
Hiroki
H
Satoh
Yasuaki
Y
Saijo
Mariko
M
Kawaharada
Eisaku
E
Okada
Reiko
R
Kishi
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications