A Bel Marra Health report examines the results of an analysis that found disrupted sleep can contribute to inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
A recent meta-analysis study found that the long-term effects of disrupted sleep can contribute to inflammatory diseases like arthritis, periodontitis, and even cancer. The researchers reviewed scientific literature on the link between poor sleep and inflammation. The analysis covered 72 reports involving over 50,000 participants. The researchers found that too little or too much sleep increased inflammation.
Dr. John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry, said, “It is important to highlight that both too much and too little sleep appears to be associated with inflammation, a process that contributes to depression as well as many medical illnesses.”
Getting less than seven hours of sleep or more than eight hours results in increased inflammation, which is manifested in elevated levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin (IL-6), both biomarkers for diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
The findings aren’t new, though. In fact, they mirror the results of the previous studies that also examined the association between sleep and inflammation. If anything, the new research reaffirms the importance of sleep quality and further emphasizes the value of sleep for our overall health.
