Insomnia study increases the risk of developing asthma

Sleep problems can increase the risk of asthma in adulthood
Asthma is a widespread disease at the present time. Also in Germany, many young and old people are suffering from asthma. Researchers now found that insomnia can be a risk factor for the development of adult asthma.

The scientists of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found in their study that insomnia can increase the risk of adult asthma massively. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "European Respiratory Journal".

Many people in Germany suffer from insomnia. Disturbed sleep affects the performance of those affected. Physicians found that insomnia also increases the risk of asthma. (Image: Dan Race / fotolia.com)

What causes asthma??
Asthma is a chronic respiratory illness. The disease has already been linked to obesity and air pollution. But smoking, allergies, viral infections and exposure to certain types of dust and chemicals increase the risk of developing asthma, explain the Norwegian experts. There are even new studies that have linked asthma to depression and anxiety in adults.

How does insomnia affect you??
What is meant by sleep disorders? Insomnia defines difficulties in initiating or maintaining sleep or a general poor quality of sleep, explain the physicians. Sleep disorders are especially common in asthma patients.

Physicians analyze connection between asthma risk and insomnia
For their research, the scientists examined the data from the so-called Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). This study provides a continuous health survey of the entire population of the county Nord-Trøndelag in Norway over a period of over 20 years. The physicians analyzed in the investigation the connection between asthma risk and insomnia.

In people with chronic insomnia, the risk of asthma is three times higher
In total, the study examined 17,927 participants between the ages of 20 and 65 years. Subjects with insomnia reported difficulty falling asleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, and poor sleep quality, say the experts. Participants were interviewed about their insomnia problems at the beginning and at the end of the study. The physicians found that in people with chronic insomnia, the risk of asthma was three times higher.

How strongly do different forms of insomnia affect the risk of asthma??
If people in the study reported that they often had trouble falling asleep during the past month, the risk of developing asthma increased by about 65 percent over the next eleven years, the authors say. If the sufferers had trouble falling asleep almost every night, the risk increased even by 108 percent, compared to people without sleep disorders. When subjects reported poor sleep quality more than once a week, they had a 94 percent increased risk of developing asthma.

Sleep disorders cause changes in the body with harmful effects
Finally, people with chronic insomnia had a threefold higher risk of developing asthma compared to people without insomnia. The results suggest that any changes in the body due to sleep disturbances can cause harmful respiratory effects.

Further research is needed
An increased focus on the adverse health effects of insomnia could be helpful in the prevention of asthma, say the physicians. However, further prospective studies are needed to confirm the findings of the current study. (As)