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Night owls have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, says study. How can night-shifters control blood sugar? | Health and Wellness News

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If you are at a desk job, move around or take a small walk every two hours during the shift. Don’t go near the vending machine and slot an exercise schedule in your functional cycle, says Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences

diabetes night owlsNight owls may need to pay more attention to their lifestyle because their chronotype may increase the risk for Type-2 diabetes (Source: Getty Images)

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Are you a night owl? Then you are likely to have a higher risk of developing Type-2 diabetes. A recently published study from the US shows that people with “evening chronotype” or those who prefer to be active in the evening, sleep and wake up late are 19 per cent more likely to develop diabetes, even after the researchers accounted for lifestyle factors. This means that unhealthy habits may explain away a large proportion of the risk but not all of it.

“Night owls may need to pay more attention to their lifestyle because their chronotype may increase the risk for Type-2 diabetes,” say the study’s corresponding author and associate epidemiologist from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Tianyi Huang. Chronotype refers to a person’s preferred timing of sleeping and waking up, which is partly determined by genetics, and cannot be changed easily. The study, based on data from over 63,000 women nurses, found that those who prefer to stay up and work at night are more likely to consume alcohol in higher quantities, have low-quality diet, smoke and have less physical activity.

Why does the evening chronotype increase the risk of diabetes?

First, the evening chronotype is likely to develop more unhealthy lifestyle habits. “Those who go to bed late at night are much more likely to snack after dinner. When they wake up, they are unlikely to have time for exercise before heading out for work or through afternoons and evenings when they are at work,” says Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences. Those with evening chronotype are also much more likely to have an irregular sleep pattern that leads to increased glucose intolerance.

The chronotype can also impact hormones. As Dr Misra explains, “The secretion of melatonin depends on the light. Exposure to a lot of light during the night is likely to reduce melatonin secretion, which is known to regulate insulin secretion. The sleep-wake cycle also affects the cortisol levels in the body, which in turn leads to insulin resistance and obesity.”

How can I protect myself?

Dr Misra says even those with evening chronotype can reduce their risk of diabetes by following a good routine and remaining disciplined. “If a person makes time for a workout in the evening, if they do not snack at night and follow a proper routine within their functional cycle, they can have a reduced risk of diabetes.” Those with evening chronotype may also try to retrain themselves by waking up and going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier each day, experts say.

The US researchers found the increased risk associated with evening chronotype in nurses who worked day shifts, not those who worked overnight shifts. “When chronotype was not matched with work hours, we saw an increase in Type 2 diabetes risk. That was another very interesting finding, suggesting that more personalised work scheduling could be beneficial,” say researchers.

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What can I do if I work on a night shift?

If you cannot avoid a night shift, Dr Misra suggests some practical ways you can remain healthy. If you are at a desk job, you should move around or take a small walk every two hours during the shift. He advises that people consume healthy snacks at night and avoid going to vending machines. People must avoid colas that may be more readily available at night than healthier beverages. Most importantly, those working night shifts should also make time for regular exercise in their routine.

“The good thing about the current study is that it has a big sample size. However, the study is based on a single questionnaire. Multiple questionnaires over a period of time would have given more details on whether the participants stuck to a particular lifestyle,” says Dr Misra.

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First published on: 14-09-2023 at 12:42 IST

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City Council health chair announces citywide diabetes plan

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City Council Committee on Health chair Lynn Schulman, a Queens Democrat, announced the Council will be proposing a citywide diabetes reduction plan this year.

“It’s something that the city really hasn’t focused on,” Schulman said. “We need to go into communities with culturally competent education materials.”

The councilmember said the plan will be based on the 90-90-90 strategy developed by the United Nations to tackle the AIDS epidemic. Schulman added she has been in conversation with city Health Comissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan about her proposal.

Schulman also discussed the City Council’s health goals in 2023 and her views on how the city should take on unlicensed cannabis shops.

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Lions Clubs grants provide diabetes education for 10,000 school nurses and school personnel

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Diabetes in youth, both type 1 and type 2, are on the rise, and as studies show this trend is expected to continue. School nurses and school staff, alike, need to be aware of the needs of children with diabetes and be prepared to meet those needs in the education environment. Laws governing this are set by both the federal government and the Code of Virginia.

The Virginia Code requires that training be offered to school staff who care for students with diabetes. It was recognized that not all schools had access to quality training due to geographic location or limited resources. Changes in diabetic treatment/regimens as well as advancing new technologies make it especially important that quality training be made available.

The Virginia Diabetes Council Schools Committee recognized this need and in partnership with like-interest community groups has successfully launched a diabetes e-learning program, “Lions Empowering and Aiding Regional Nurses in Schools,” that is now being used by school divisions throughout the commonwealth. With financial grant support of the Lions Club International and Lions Club 24L, the pilot program began in the 2019–20 school year. Initially, Lions Club enrolled 2,872 participants and as of October 2022 has enrolled 10,000 participants. Nine hundred seventy-five schools are enrolled in the program with 70 school districts participating, as well as private and parochial schools.

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This training program offers current information about diabetes and best practices for the care of students living with diabetes. Salus Education’s “Diabetes Care at School: Bridging the Gap” is a comprehensive program that addresses basic diabetes awareness information for the school staff, as well as in-depth, technical information directed to those who have responsibility of the child during school activities. Continuing education credits for nurses and school personnel are available. The training has been approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing.

Those completing the training include administrators, nurses, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, athletic directors, trainers, coaches, choir and band directors, teachers and office staff. Some schools have adopted the program and include it as part of their orientation. Some make the training mandatory annually.

The program has been successful even beyond the walls of the schools. Participants have said they have a better understanding of their own diabetes, and their family members and are very glad they took the training.

Providing feedback about the program, a user responded, “I think this was very useful and designed with the learner in mind. Because something like diabetes is life threatening the subject can be scary to ask questions or to take the time to really understand. This self-paced computer program lowered my level of stress while allowing me to review and study at a pace comfortable to me.”

VDC partners include Lions Club International, Lions Club District 24L, Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Coordinating Body of Diabetes Care.

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