Frequent Daytime Napping Linked to Higher Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes, finds Study

The research sought to assess the influence of daytime napping on cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. A sample of 21,129 UK Biobank participants who had no MACE or cancer at baseline were included. Information on sleep behaviors such as daytime napping frequency and overall sleep duration was obtained via a baseline questionnaire.

To establish the relationship between daytime napping and unfavorable outcomes, researchers used Cox proportional hazards regression models. The main outcomes measured were MACE, all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific mortality. MACE was a composite of myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke.

Key Findings

Over a mean follow-up of 11.9 years, the study found:

• 5,611 MACE cases

• 3,854 all-cause deaths

• 1,839 CVD-specific deaths

Relative to those who never or seldom napped, those who typically napped had substantially higher risks:

• MACE: Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.39 (95% CI: 1.08-1.65)

• Myocardial infarction: HR 1.44 (95% CI: 1.01-1.92)

• Heart failure: HR 1.33 (95% CI: 1.07-1.64)

• Stroke: HR 1.57 (95% CI: 1.06-2.33)

• All-cause mortality: HR 1.28 (95% CI: 1.01-1.60)

• CVD mortality: HR 1.33 (95% CI: 0.97-1.94)

Daytime napping on a frequent basis is linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular events and death in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results highlight the need to observe sleep habits in diabetic patients, particularly those with long sleep duration.

Reference:

Yang, X. H., Liu, Y., Jiang, X. X., Zhang, Z. X., Lu, Y. J., Fu, C. S., Jin, H. M., & Ye, Z. B. (2025). Daytime napping and risk of incident main adverse cardiovascular events and mortality among adults with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 112067, 112067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112067