Frequent napping may be linked to diabetes

BIRMINGHAM, England, March 1 (UPI) -- Frequent napping is associated with an elevated prevalence of type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in an older Chinese population, researchers say.

Lead author Neil Thomas of the University of Birmingham in England says additional research is needed to determine if napping itself plays a causative role in the development of type 2 diabetes, or if other factors are involved.

Napping in China is a social norm, practiced by all ages primarily as a habit started in childhood, but in Western countries, napping is less common and is often unplanned and prompted by aging, deteriorating health or nighttime complaints.

The community-based study took place in Guangzhou, China, where 19,567 participants between the ages of 50-93 were recruited from 2003-2004 and 2005-2006.

An association between napping and diabetes was observed despite the fact that nappers had higher levels of physical activity, which has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes. This suggests the relationship between napping and diabetes might have been stronger had it not been offset by the protective effects of physical activity, Thomas says.