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Sleep Regularity for Longer Life

Sleep regularity for longer life

Alexandr Screaghin by Getty Images/CanvaPro

The findings from a study published in the journal Sleep highlight that sleep regularity, defined as the day-to-day consistency of sleep-wake timing, is a powerful predictor of mortality risk. The Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) was calculated from over 10 million hours of data from 60,977 participants in the UK Biobank.

 

The study found that a higher SRI was associated with a 20 to 57 percent lower risk of mortality, even after adjusting for various factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, lifestyle and health biomarkers. Sleep regularity was associated with lower risks of all-cause, cancer and cardiometabolic mortality across the top four SRI groups compared to the least regular group. Importantly, sleep regularity outperformed sleep duration as a predictor of mortality risk, indicating its potential as an important predictor of health and longevity. Further research is needed to establish causality and explore the underlying mechanisms.

In-Print National Content Global and Health Briefs Health Brief January 2024
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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