BEIJING (Dispatches) -- Researchers have found that people with unhealthy sleep behaviors and sedentary lifestyles may be at risk for fatty liver disease.
Scientists at Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China found a moderate improvement in sleep quality was related to a 29% reduction in the risk for fatty liver disease.
The researchers analyzed self-reported sleep behaviors from 5,011 Chinese adults with fatty liver disease and found late bedtime, snoring and daytime napping for over 30 minutes were significantly associated with an increased risk of fatty liver disease. People with a sedentary lifestyle and central obesity experienced more prominent adverse effects from poor sleep quality than others.
Fatty liver disease is the leading chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting about a quarter of the adult population. This type of liver disease is fueled by metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Fatty liver disease may progress to end-stage liver disease, posing a major health and economic burden to society.