Sleep Duration Linked to Ulcerative Colitis Risk in Study

Getting too much, too little may raise chances of inflammatory bowel condition

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Not getting the right amount of sleep might raise your risk of ulcerative colitis, a new study suggests.

Those who sleep less or more than the recommended seven to eight hours per night may be more prone to developing the chronic condition, which causes inflammation in the intestines, researchers report. The study authors concluded that duration and quality of sleep are key factors to be considered among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

"Both short and long durations of sleep have important health implications, and are associated with increased overall mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer," study author Dr. Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in an American Gastroenterological Association news release.

"Our findings indicate that ulcerative colitis may potentially be added to this list," he said. "We found that less than six hours of sleep per day and more than nine hours of sleep per day are each associated with an increased risk of ulcerative colitis."

The study, published recently in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, included women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study I in 1976 and the Nurses' Health Study II in 1989. Every other year, the women completed detailed questionnaires. The researchers noted the extended follow-up period allowed them to analyze the link between sleep and disease incidence.

In a previous study, the investigators also found that six months of poor sleep quality was associated with a twofold increase in risk of flare-ups for another inflammatory condition, Crohn's disease.

Originally posted here:
Sleep Duration Linked to Ulcerative Colitis Risk in Study