
Healthy sleep patterns play a significant role in reducing the risk of adult asthma, especially among individuals with genetic susceptibility. That’s according to a new study that explores the bidirectional relationship between sleep and asthma, suggesting poor sleep may worsen asthma and vice versa.
The study, “Highlighting the Importance of Healthy Sleep Patterns in the Risk of Adult Asthma Under the Combined Effects of Genetic Susceptibility: A Large-Scale Prospective Cohort Study of 455,405 Participants,” was recently published in the British Medical Journal’s Open Respiratory Research.
The large-scale, prospective cohort study analyzed data from 455,405 participants in the U.K. Biobank and found that poor sleep patterns combined with high genetic susceptibility could more than double the risk of developing asthma. The respiratory condition is influenced by both genetic and non-genetic factors. According to the study’s authors, genetic factors significantly contribute to asthma risk, with heritability estimates ranging from 25% to 80%.
Although it is well known that asthma can disrupt sleep, this study suggests that poor sleep quality may also contribute to the onset and progression of the disease. Specifically, sleep disorders may induce chronic inflammation, contributing to asthma development. In addition, inflammatory responses, stress and other physiological changes linked to poor sleep can exacerbate asthma.
In the study, researchers identified five key sleep traits — chronotype, sleep duration, insomnia, snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness — that were strongly associated with asthma risk. Participants were categorized into three groups based on their sleep patterns: healthy sleep, intermediate sleep and poor sleep. The study found that individuals with healthy sleep patterns had a significantly lower risk of developing asthma, even among those with high genetic susceptibility. Specifically, a healthy sleep pattern could reduce asthma risk by 37% in individuals with high genetic susceptibility.
The findings underscore the importance of maintaining healthy sleep habits as a potential intervention to prevent asthma. Researchers also suggested that early detection and management of sleep disorders could be beneficial in reducing asthma incidence, regardless of genetic predisposition.