Asthma, a more common allergy in late-onset teens: a study

Recent research has been published in the journal ERJ Open Research.

It is known that asthma symptoms are strongly associated with the body’s internal clock, which is the first study to examine how individual sleep preferences affect asthma risk in teenagers. is.

The researchers say this study reinforces the importance of sleep timing in teenagers and opens new research channels on how sleep affects teenager respiratory health.

The study was led by Dr. Subhabrata Moitra of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Alberta, Canada, who conducted a study at the Barcelona Institute of International Health.

“Asthma and allergic diseases are common in children and adolescents around the world, and their prevalence is increasing. Although we know some of the reasons for this increase, including pollution and exposure to cigarette smoke. , You need to find out more.

“Sleep and the “sleep hormone” melatonin are known to affect asthma, so whether we prefer adolescents to stay up late or sleep early is related to their risk of asthma. I wanted to see it. “

The study involved 1,684 adolescents living in West Bengal, India, aged 13 or 14 years, and participated in a study of prevalence and risk factors for adolescent asthma and allergy-related diseases (PERFORMANCE). ..

We asked each participant about the symptoms of wheezing, asthma, or allergic rhinitis such as runny nose and sneezing. They asked a series of questions to determine if they were “evening type,” “morning type,” or somewhere in between. I feel tired and feel the first thing in the morning.

Researchers consider teenager symptoms and sleep preferences in light of other factors known to affect asthma and allergies, such as participant residence and whether the family is smoking. I compared.

They found that asthma was about three times more likely to develop asthma in teenagers who prefer to sleep late compared to those who prefer to sleep early. They also found that the risk of developing allergic rhinitis was twice as high in people after bedtime as they were before bedtime.

Dr. Moitra adds: “Our results suggest that there is an association between priority sleep time and asthma and allergies in teens. Evening sleep is not certain to cause asthma, but sleep hormones Often melatonin is out of sync, which in turn can affect allergic reactions in teens.

“We also know that children and adolescents are exposed to light from mobile phones, tablets, and other devices and stay up late into the night. Encouraging teenagers to put their devices down and sleep a little faster. It may help reduce the risk of asthma and allergies, which is something we need to study further.”

The second phase of the PERFORMANCE study is scheduled for 2028-29. So, you can repeat this study with a new group of teenagers to see if there have been changes in their teenagers’ sleep habits and respiratory health. Dr. Moitra and his team also want to quantify their findings by objectively measuring participant lung function and sleep time.

Professor Thierry Troosters was president of the European Respiratory Society and was not involved in the research. He said: “We need to know more about why asthma and allergies are rising in children and teens, and hopefully find ways to reduce these conditions.

“This is the first study to explore the possible roles of different sleep preferences in teenagers’ risk of asthma and allergies, paving the way for interesting and important new research. Sleeping well physically and mentally. We already know that it is important for physical health, so we should continue to encourage teenagers to get a good night’s sleep.”