[Clinical study of the month. Does chronic sleep deprivation predispose to metabolic syndrome?].

According to a recent experimental study published in the Lancet, sleep debt, frequently imposed by the life habits of industrialized countries, results in profound metabolic (impaired glucose tolerance) and endocrine (increased sympathetic activity and evening cortisol levels) alterations, which mimic those of normal ageing and may have pathophysiological consequences in the long term. Another study recently published in the International Journal of Obesity demonstrated a significant positive relationship between the duration of shift-work and body mass index or waist to hip ratio, a marker of visceral adiposity. One may thus hypothesize that chronic sleep deprivation could predispose to the metabolic syndrome and increase the cardiovascular risk.