Bad Sleeping Habits Linked to Asthma Risk, Study says
Lack of sleep may increase your asthma risk, says a new study published in BMJ Open Respiratory Research. While prior research has revealed that asthma can cause sleep problems, the researchers in this study wanted to determine whether the reverse was true. They looked at over 450,000 people between the ages of 38 to 73 over the course of four years to investigate the connection between sleep and asthma. Of the 18,000 people diagnosed with asthma after ten years, those who had poor sleep quality and quantity and a genetic predisposition to asthma were twice as likely to develop the condition. Healthy sleep patterns were shown to be associated with a lower Asthma Risk no matter the genetic susceptibility. Preventive measures While people may not know their genetic score for asthma, the study suggests that keeping track of potential triggers and exacerbating factors, such as sleep, can help individuals achieve optimal control over their asthma. This finding also highlights the impo...