Poor sleep linked to fatty liver disease, study finds

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Scientists from Sun Yat-sen University found that people with sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy sleep behaviours could develop fatty liver disease.

The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and was conducted by Yan Liu et al.

Fatty liver disease is the leading chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting about a quarter of the adult population.

This type of liver disease is fuelled by metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Fatty liver disease may progress to end-stage liver disease, posing a major health and economic burden to society.

In the study, the team analyzed self-reported sleep behaviors from 5,011 Chinese adults with fatty liver disease.

They found late bedtime, snoring and daytime napping for over 30 minutes were strongly linked to an increased risk of fatty liver disease.

A moderate improvement in sleep quality led to a 29% reduction in fatty liver disease risk.

People with a sedentary lifestyle and central obesity experienced more prominent adverse effects from poor sleep quality than others.

The study provides evidence that even a moderate improvement in sleep quality is sufficient to reduce the risk for fatty liver disease, especially in those with unhealthy lifestyles.

The team says people with poor night-time sleep and prolonged daytime napping have the highest risk for developing fatty liver disease.

This study found a moderate improvement in sleep quality was related to a 29% reduction in the risk for fatty liver disease.

Given that large proportions of subjects suffering from poor sleep quality are underdiagnosed and undertreated, this study calls for more research into this field and strategies to improve sleep quality.

Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.