09 Jul Cancer Survivors Who Sleep Well May Not Have Increased Risk of Diabetes

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Azizi Seixas

Mr. Lloyd Gyamfi and
Azizi Seixas, Ph.D.
Post-Doc Fellow
Department of Population Health
Center for Healthful Behavior Change
NYU School of Medicine

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: An association exists between unhealthy sleep duration (short:≤6 hrs. or long sleep: ≥ 9hrs.) and cancer. The specific link between cancer and diabetes is unknown. Evidence suggests that cancer and diabetes may share common risk factors such as age, gender, race, being overweight an alcohol use. Based on the data extracted from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) dataset (2004-2013) with a sample size of 283,086, it was identified that individuals who had a history of cancer and who reported long sleep duration did not have increased risk of diabetes diagnosis.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Long sleep duration (≥ 9hrs. of total sleep time on average) significantly moderated the relationship between cancer and diabetes. For cancer survivors, long sleep duration may act as a buffer against diabetes.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Future research should examine cardiometabolic risk factors and pathways that increases risk of diabetes. Doing so will allow early detection and prevention of diabetes among cancer survivors.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: Diabetes and cancer share common risk factors (e.g. age, gender, race, physical inactivity, being overweight, and alcohol use). Sleep duration greater than seven total hours of sleep on average could provide a potentially novel protective factor that may reduce risk of comorbid diabetes if someone has a history of cancer.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Gyamfi, L; Seixas, A; Rosenthal, D M; Newsome, V; Butler, M; Zizi, F; Jean-Louis, G. ‘Moderating effects of sleep duration on diabetes risk among individuals with cancer diagnosis’. SLEEP 2016, Denver CO June 11-15.

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com

[wysija_form id=”5″]

Last Updated on July 10, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD