Sleep more to reduce risk for fatty liver

Author : Dr Veena Aggarwal, Consultant Womens’ Health, CMD and Editor-in-Chief, IJCP Group & Medtalks Trustee, Dr KK’s Heart Care Foundation of India,

India

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New Delhi, March 06, 2022 :

Individuals who sleep for more than 7 hours during the week and for more than 7 hours on weekends reduce their risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), suggests a new study from South Korea.¹

Data on sleep duration from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) was analyzed in this study from 2008 to 2019 to investigate the correlation between duration of sleep and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients with viral hepatitis (B or C), liver cirrhosis or liver cancer as well as shift workers and persons with irregular sleep and those who consumed alcohol excessively were excluded from the study.

A total of 68,759 individuals were surveyed from 2008 to 2015 (Set 1) and 32,379 from 2016 to 2019 (Set 2). Set 1 was segregated into persons with an average of over 7 hours of sleep a day and those who slept for less than that.

Set 2 was divided into three groups: those with an average of less than 7 hours of sleep a day and did not catch up on weekends; those that averaged less than 7 hours of sleep a day and had catch up sleep of > 7 hours on weekends and those with more than 7 hours of sleep in a week. The hepatic steatosis index (HSI) was used to detect fatty liver.

According to results published in the Annals of Hepatology, 23% patients had fatty liver based on the HSI score of ≥ 36. A negative association was noted between a mean sleep time of ≥7 hours and NAFLD.

In Set 1, sleeping ≥ 7 hours was found to be tied to a 16% lower risk for NAFLD with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.84.

In Set 2, sleeping ≥ 7 hours on weekdays was linked to a 19% reduced risk for NAFLD (OR 0.81). Sleeping for ≥ 7 hours on the weekend was linked to a 22% reduced risk for NAFLD (OR 0.78). In comparison with individuals who slept < 7 hours all through the week, those who slept < 7 hours on weekdays and > 7 hours on weekends were found to have a 20% reduced risk of NAFLD (OR 0.80).

This study has shown a negative association between the overall sleep duration and weekend catch up sleep and NAFLD. Inadequate sleep increases risk of developing NAFLD. Lifestyle modifications such as restriction of calories, physical activity, weight loss form the cornerstone of management of NAFLD. Hence, adequate sleep of at least 5 to 7 hours may also be added as a lifestyle intervention.

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