Lack of sleep linked to cardiometobolic risk in teens

 

America has recognized that obesity is a major issue impacting youth today. But did you know that sleeping patterns, obesity and the heart were related?

According to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, sleep duration can predict cardiometabolic risk in obese teens. 

Approximately 30 percent of American teens are overweight, and more than 15 are considered obese, which makes them more likely to have cardiometabolic risk, according to the study. (Cardiometabolic risk refers to the chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke.) 

For several reasons—MTV, homework all-nighters, etc.—most teens don’t get enough sleep, and lack of sleep has been associated with cardiometabolic risk and type 2 diabetes in adults, according to the study. With youth, less sleep has been associated with greater BMI and a risk for being overweight, because sleep duration may be associated with insulin resistance and a wider waist. 

Researchers examined 37 participants (17 male and 20 female) of different racial backgrounds and considered obese according to the Body Mass Index (BMI), a number calculated from a person’s weight and height to assess a person’s idealweight. Only a third of the participants were active for 60 minutes per day.

They found that the participants who slept more had a lower cMetScore, or cardiometabolic risk score, and those who slept less had a higher score. By sleep, they meant the number of hours in one session, not number of sessions.  It would have been interesting to distinguish how naps would have factored into metabolic risk, or is it more about having more about  the amount of sleep in one session.

A similar study of minority adolescents found that self-reported sleep was associated with cardiometabolic outcomes, showing that lack of sleep, less exercise and fatigue contribute to cardiometabolic risk.