Short sleep implicated in colorectal adenoma risk

Colorectal adenomas, both advanced and nonadvanced, appear to be prevalent among individuals with short sleep duration, according to a study in a Vietnamese population.

The study included 870 patients with colorectal adenomas and 870 matched controls who were recruited through a large-scale colorectal screening program involving 103,542 individuals who were ≥40 years of age and residing in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sleep duration was categorized as follows: short (≤6 hours/day), normal (7 to 8 hours/day), and long (>8 hours/day).

Multivariable conditional logistic regression showed short sleep duration to be associated with greater odds of having colorectal adenomas compared with normal sleep duration (odds ratio [OR], 1.48, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.97).

The association was observed among both women (OR, 1.58, 95 percent CI, 1.14–2.18) and men (OR, 1.45, 95 percent CI, 1.08–1.93), as well as among individuals with advanced adenomas (OR, 1.61, 95 percent CI, 1.09–2.38) and those with nonadvanced adenomas (OR, 1.66, 95 percent CI, 1.19–2.32).

On further analysis, the odds of colorectal adenoma development associated with short sleep duration in women were even greater among those who were nondrinker, nonobese, physically active, with proximal or both sided adenomas and with cardiometabolic disorder.

In men, the association between short sleep duration and colorectal adenoma was more pronounced among those who were never-smokers, had cardiometabolic disorders, and were obese.

The findings suggest that maintaining an adequate sleep duration may play a valuable role in colorectal adenoma prevention and control.