February 18, 2011 – Sleeping 6 hours or less per night is believed to be associated with a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. This is the conclusion of a group of American researchers who conducted a study1 with 1,240 people.
The participants all underwent a routine colonoscopy session and each had to answer a questionnaire designed to measure the number of hours slept per day and the general quality of sleep during the previous month.
Colonoscopy results detected polyps in 338 participants. Note that polyps are often benign, but some can become cancerous.
Analysis of the results of the sleep quality questionnaire revealed that the incidence of polyps increased by about 50% in subjects who slept less than 6 hours per day, compared to participants who slept 7 hours or more each night.
The magnitude of the effects of lack of sleep on the risk of developing colorectal cancer compares with other known risk factors, such as family history and high consumption of red meat, the researchers point out.
According to the lead author of the study, Dr Li, these results indicate that in addition to being linked to obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease, insufficient sleep may also increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. Thompson CL, Larkin EK, et al. Short duration of sleep increases risk of colorectal adenoma, Cancer. 2011 Feb 15; 117 (4): 841-7.
