Cleaner bedroom air linked to improved blood sugar control
· News-MedicalUsing portable filters to reduce exposure to air pollution during sleep may stabilize the large spikes in blood sugar experienced by people with prediabetes, a condition in which sugar (glucose) levels are higher than normal, a new study shows.
Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, the team assessed more than 150 men and women with prediabetes who did not have any known buildup of cholesterol in their arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis.
Sharine L. Wittkopp, MD, PhD, study lead author, cardiologist, clinical instructor, NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Department of Medicine and its Leon H. Charney Division of CardiologyOur findings suggest that cleaner air at home, especially in the bedroom, may help people with prediabetes keep their blood sugar steady and blunt morning spikes. Installing HEPA filters offers an easy, low cost tool to help protect heart and metabolic health along with healthy eating, regular exercise, and prescribed medications."
The results will be presented November 8 at the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions.
The new study is the first to test whether in home HEPA filtration can improve glucose control in adults with prediabetes, the authors said.
"Our results add to a growing body of evidence that poor air quality is a threat not only to lung health but to heart and metabolic health as well," said study senior author Jonathan Newman, MD, MPH, an associate professor in NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Department of Medicine and its Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. "These findings support broader efforts to reduce air pollution and suggest that healthcare providers should consider indoor air quality when helping patients manage their cardiometabolic risk."
According to Dr. Newman, the team next plans to run longer term studies to see whether air filtration can slow or stop the progression from prediabetes to diabetes and whether it can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome.
Source: