Medical Bulletin 01/ June / 2024

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that better sleep health was associated with lower levels of loneliness, and this association was stronger among younger adults.

The results were published in the journal SLEEP.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep is essential to health. The AASM and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults should sleep seven hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health, productivity and daytime alertness.

Better sleep is crucial for overall health because it allows the body to rest, repair, and rejuvenate. Quality sleep supports a strong immune system, helping you fight off illnesses more effectively. It also plays a key role in brain function, enhancing memory, learning, and concentration. Adequate sleep regulates hormones that control hunger and metabolism, which can help maintain a healthy weight. Additionally, good sleep reduces stress and lowers the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

The study involved 2,297 adults with a mean age of 44 years. Participants completed an online sleep health questionnaire and loneliness scale. The researchers analysed the results using correlation and linear regression analyses along with moderation analyses.

Results indicate that better sleep health was associated with significantly lower total loneliness, emotional loneliness and social loneliness. While better sleep health was associated with lower total and emotional loneliness across ages, this association was stronger for younger adults. However, age did not moderate the association between sleep health and social loneliness.

“Loneliness is an urgent public health crisis, and there is a pressing need for providers to better understand and treat it. Our results highlight the important role that sleep plays in understanding loneliness across the adult lifespan. Perhaps efforts to improve sleep health could have a beneficial effect on loneliness, especially for young people,” said lead author and principal investigator Joseph Dzierzewski.

Reference: Spencer Nielson, Julia Boyle, Joseph Dzierzewski, 0746 Rested and Connected: An Exploration of Sleep Health and Loneliness Across the Adult Lifespan, Sleep, Volume 47, Issue Supplement_1, May 2024, Pages A319–A320, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsae067.0746

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) released its Global Food Policy Report 2024: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition on May 29, raising serious concerns about the dietary habits in India. The report highlights a significant shift towards unhealthy food consumption, overshadowing the intake of nutritious options.

According to the report, "more people in India consume unhealthy foods such as salty or fried snacks, compared to those consuming vegetables, fruits, and other micronutrient-rich foods." This shift has led to 16.6 percent of the country’s population suffering from malnutrition, a rise from 15.4 percent in 2011. The prevalence of overweight adults has also increased from 12.9 percent in 2006 to 16.4 percent in 2016.

At least 38 percent of the Indian population eats unhealthy foods, while only 28 percent consume all five recommended food groups, which include a starchy staple, a vegetable, a fruit, a pulse, nut or seed, and an animal-source food. This preference for calorie-dense and nutrient-poor foods is not only high but also growing, leading to an increase in both undernutrition and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity.

The report underscored the rising consumption of processed foods in India and other South Asian countries. These include chocolates, sugar confectioneries, salty snacks, beverages, ready-made convenience foods, and breakfast cereals. After cereals and milk, snacks and prepared foods now account for a major part of Indian food budgets. "The share of packaged (highly processed and calorie-dense) foods in household food budgets nearly doubled during this period, to 12 percent from 6.5 percent," the report states.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently issued dietary guidelines warning that "information presented on packaged food can be misleading." Among its 17 guidelines, ICMR advises consumers to read food labels carefully and minimize the consumption of high-fat, sugar, salt, and ultra-processed foods.

The report, co-authored by 41 researchers from IFPRI and partner organizations, calls for urgent action to transform global food systems. "The 2024 GFPR serves as a clarion call for prioritizing sustainable, healthy diets as a cornerstone of public health and sustainable development," said Johan Swinnen, director general of IFPRI.

Deanna Olney, director of IFPRI’s nutrition, diets, and health unit, emphasized the critical need for dietary improvements, stating, "Evidence suggests that poor quality diets are the leading cause of disease worldwide and that one in five lives could be saved by improving diets."

The report urged a comprehensive approach to ensure equitable access to sustainable, healthy diets, highlighting the necessity of addressing all forms of malnutrition and diet-related diseases through improved dietary practices.

Reference: International Food Policy Research Institute. 2024. Global food policy report 2024: Food systems for healthy diets and nutrition. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Hot flashes affect about 80% of women during the years around menopause. Despite their prevalence and extensive research into their causes, much about them remains unknown.

A new study, published in the journal Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society, suggested that acute changes in physical activity, temperature, and humidity may play a role in the hot flash experience.

Hot flashes, affecting about 80% of women around menopause, are sudden heat events involving increased heat transfer to the skin and sweating. They result from reduced estradiol levels, affecting the hypothalamus that controls body temperature. While physical activity offers many health benefits, it can raise body temperature and potentially trigger hot flashes.

The frequency and intensity of hot flashes can vary widely among women. Some may experience them several times a day, while others may have them less frequently. Hot flashes can be particularly disruptive at night, leading to sleep disturbances and contributing to restlessness and fatigue.

Studies have shown that women with a history of hot flashes often experience them during exercise, unlike asymptomatic women. Recent research indicates that more moderate physical activity correlates with more reported hot flashes.

In the study, researchers involved nearly 200 participants across the three menopause stages (premenopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause).

Data indicated significantly higher odds of acute increases in physical activity preceding both objective and subjective hot flashes during waking and sleeping periods. Additionally, restlessness and increased microclimate temperature at night may precede hot flashes, suggesting that certain behavioural measures, such as using lighter blankets and fans, may be beneficial.

“This study shows a link between increases in physical activity and subsequent subjective and objective hot flashes during both waking and sleeping periods. Clinicians may advise patients of this link while acknowledging the multiple well-known benefits of physical activity. Because temperature during sleep affected the odds of having a hot flash, modifications such as the use of lighter-weight blankets and sleepwear, as well as keeping the room temperature cooler, may help with nighttime hot flashes,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

Reference: Witkowski, Sarah PhD1; White, Quinn BA2; Shreyer, Sofiya MA3; Garcia, Randi L. PhD2; Brown, Daniel E. PhD4; Sievert, Lynnette Leidy PhD3. Acute increases in physical activity and temperature are associated with hot flash experience in midlife women. Menopause ():10.1097/GME.0000000000002373, May 28, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002373