Too much sleep may double risk of Parkinson's DiseaseBy Fiona MacRae, The Daily News (of South Africa), July 12, 2006 Sleeping too long could be bad for your health, new research shows. A team of scientists has found that people who sleep at least nine hours a night are almost twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease as those who get by on six hours or less. The US study also showed that working night shifts may help ward off the devastating condition, which affects 120 000 people in Britain, with 10 000 cases diagnosed a year. The researchers from the National Institutes of Health, a US government body, tracked the health of 80 000 nurses for 24 years. The women, who were all free of Parkinson's at the start of the study, were asked how long they tended to sleep and how often they worked night shifts. They were also weighed and asked about their smoking and dietary habits. By the end of the study, 181 had developed Parkinson's. Analysis showed that the more someone slept, the higher their risk of developing the disease. Most at risk were those who slept at least nine hours a night. These women were 80 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with the condition than those who slept six hours or less. Those who slept for eight hours were 60 percent more likely to develop the disease, while seven hours' sleep a night raised the risk by 10 percent. While lots of sleep raised the risk, working night shifts reduced it. And the longer they did night shifts, the lower the risk. Those who did a minimum of three night shifts a month for at least 15 years were half as likely to develop Parkinson's as those who always worked days. Previous studies have shown that night-shift workers have lower levels of the hormones melatonin and oestradiol. At higher levels, they may contribute towards the development of Parkinson's. Symptoms include tremors, muscle stiffness and a gradual slowing down of the body. As the disease progresses, speech, facial expression and balance can be affected. Some people end up in a wheelchair.
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