Short duration between dinner, bed has no effect on HbA1c

(HealthDay)—Ensuring a short duration between dinner and bedtime has no effect on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in middle-aged and older Japanese adults, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.

Su Su Maw and Chiyori Haga, Ph.D., R.N., from Okayama University in Okayama City, Japan, examined the effect of a duration of two hours or shorter between dinner and bedtime on HbA1c levels in middle-aged and elderly Japanese individuals. Lifestyle and anthropometric data were collected for individuals aged 40 to 74 years who did not have any prediabetic or diabetic conditions.

In 2012, the cohort included 1,573 individuals. The researchers found that the mean HbA1c level was 5.2 percent in 2012 and 5.58 percent in 2013 and 2014. Overall, 16.1 and 7.5 percent of men and women, respectively, fell asleep within two hours after dinner. Ensuring a two-hour interval between dinner and bedtime had no impact on increasing HbA1c levels. Over time, the regression coefficient of two-hour interval and HbA1c levels was −0.02 (P = 0.45). Significant correlations were seen for smoking (P = 0.013), alcohol consumption (P = 0.01), and higher body mass index (P < 0.001) with HbA1c trends.

"More attention should be paid to healthy portions and food components, getting adequate sleep, and avoiding smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight development, as these variables had a more profound influence on the metabolic process," the authors write.

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