Effects of binge alcohol consumption on sleep and inflammation in healthy volunteers

Lifestyle deterioration linked to elevated inflammatory cytokines over a two-month follow-up

Healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of inflammation-related diseases. This study assessed how lifestyle changes affect inflammatory cytokines over 2 months. Involving 179 apparently healthy participants recruited from community, collecting data on lifestyles (smoking, alcohol, BMI, daily activity, sleep, diet) and measured inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-17A, CRP, IL-8, IL-18, IFN-γ) plus pepsinogens (PG I, PG II) at the baseline and 2-month follow-up. The combined adverse lifestyle score is the sum of scores across six lifestyles, with higher scores indicating more adverse lifestyle factors. Use multiple linear regression and mixed linear models to analyze the relationship between the changes in lifestyle and inflammatory cytokines (follow-up values minus baseline values). For every 1-point increase in combined adverse lifestyle score, IL-17A increased by 0.98 (95% CI 0.23, 1.73) pg/mL, IFN-γ increased by 1.79 (95% CI 0.39, 3.18) pg/mL. Decreased changes in daily activity were associated with higher IL-17A (β = 1.83, 95% CI 0.53, 3.13) and IFN-γ (β = 2.59, 95% CI 0.9, 4.98). Excluding daily activity, changes in combined adverse lifestyle scores were not associated with changes in inflammatory cytokines. Lifestyle improvements at 2-month intervals may reduce TNF-α, IL-17A and IFN-γ, with daily activity making the greatest contribution.

Gastrointestinal cell injury and perceived symptoms after running the Boston Marathon

Gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances are a prevalent cause of marathon related complaints, and in extreme cases can promote life-threatening conditions such as exertional heat stroke. Our aim was to study intestinal cell injury [via intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP)] and perceived GI distress symptoms among marathon runners. We also examined potential risk factors (e.g., inadequate sleep) that could exacerbate GI disturbances in healthy, trained endurance runners. This was a parallel mixed-methods study design. 2019 Boston Marathon participants were recruited via email and subjects completed surveys before the race describing demographics and training history. Participants completed a GI questionnaire to assess presence and severity of symptoms, a survey regarding risk factors (e.g., recent illness, medications) that could promote GI disturbances, and provided a urine sample at three time points (immediately pre-race, post-race, and 24-h post-race). Due to weather, blood samples were only collected immediately and 24-h post-race. A total of 40 runners (males: n = 19, age = 44.9 ± 10.8 years; females: n = 21, age = 44.8 ± 10.6 years) completed this study. I-FABP significantly decreased from post-race (3367.5 ± 2633.5 pg/mL) to 24-h post-race (1657.3 ± 950.7 pg/mL, t (39) = -4.228, p < .001, d = -.669). There was a significant difference in overall GI symptom scores across the three time points (F (2, 39) = 41.37, p < .001). The highest average score occurred post-race (.84 ± .68), compared to pre-race (.09 ± .12) and 24-h post-race (.44 ± .28). Post-race I-FABP (r = .31, p = .048) and post-race urine specific gravity (r = .33, p = .041) were significantly correlated with post-race GI symptom scores. Our study provides further support to the individualized nature of GI disturbances, with participants experiencing a wide range of risk factors that can influence the extent of GI damage and perceived symptoms during and after exercise.

The Updating and Individualizing of Sleep Hygiene Rules for Non-clinical Adult Populations

Sleep hygiene is essential for the prevention of somatic and mental disorders, including the prevention of sleep disorders. However, it does not typically address individual differences. The aim of this review is threefold: first, to outline the empirical evidence for particular components of sleep hygiene rules; second, to indicate the importance of individualized sleep hygiene application with regard to the varying degree of validity of sleep hygiene rules in the population; third, to highlight a new field of sleep hygiene, namely light hygiene. PubMed and Google Scholar were used to identify studies that were published between 2007 and 2022. A search was conducted for studies related to sleeping rules topics: sleep regularity, regular exercise, alcohol, caffeine, napping, relaxation and meditation, food intake and light exposure. In applying these sleep hygiene principles, it is essential to pay attention to individual variables such as age, genetic predisposition, health status, and substance (caffeine, alcohol) possible dependence.

Sleep Quality in Psoriasis Patients and its Relations with Possible Affecting Factors

OBJECTIVES

Psoriasis (PS) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease. PS may lead to significant effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and other outcomes. In the present study, an investigation into sleep quality (SQ), and its possible relations with factors which may affect SQ were aimed.

METHODS

A total of 74 subjects from both sexes were enrolled in this study, between January and July 2017. Patients were evaluated with their demographics, body mass index (BMI), Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Psoriasis Quality of Life Index (PQLI), Self Perception Scale (SPS). Additionally, accompanying chronic diseases, disease duration and severity of pruritus were recorded. Obtained PSQI values were compared with the mentioned parameters concerning the significance of their relations with it. SPSS version 24, 2016 was used to analyse the data, and significance was evaluated with p-values of <0.05, 0.01, and 0.001, and rho (r) values of <0.2, =0.2-0.4, =0.4-0.6, =0.6-0.8 and >0.8.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven female and 37 male were studied. The mean age of total of the study population was 47.21±13.91. Mean BMI and mean duration were 30.09± 4.68 kg/m2, and 10.58±9.1 months. Mean values of PASI, PSQI, SPS, and PQLI of the study group were 19.79±16.99, 9.14±5.09, 142.12±23.83, and 21.94±16.31, respectively. Approximately thirty-one percent of them had at least one chronic disease. Alcohol and smoking rates were 17.56%, 50%. PASI was positive/strongly correlated with PQLI and negative/weakly correlated with SPS. No correlation was detected between PSQI values and age, gender, BMI, and SPS values. PSQI was moderately correlated with PQLI, diabetes mellitus (DM), and pruritus severity, whereas it was weak correlated with PASI, hypertension (HT), thyroid diseases and disease duration. PASI and DM showed a predictive effect on SQ.

CONCLUSION

SQ is affected by certain factors, such as QoL, disease severity, disease duration, pruritus severity, accompanying disorders, such as HT, DM and thyroid diseases, in which disease severity and DM have predictive effects on SQ in PS patients. Controls of disease activation and prevention of progression in DM may provide to keep SQ in PS.

Sleep after Heavy Alcohol Consumption and Physical Activity Levels during Alcohol Hangover

Alcohol consumption can negatively affect sleep quality. The current study examined the impact of an evening of alcohol consumption on sleep, and next day activity levels and alcohol hangover. n = 25 healthy social drinkers participated in a naturalistic study, consisting of an alcohol and alcohol-free test day. On both days, a GENEactiv watch recorded sleep and wake, and corresponding activity levels. In addition, subjective assessments of sleep duration and quality were made, and hangover severity, and the amount of consumed alcoholic beverages were assessed. Alcohol consumption was also assessed in real-time during the drinking session, using smartphone technology. The results confirmed, by using both objective and subjective assessments, that consuming a large amount of alcohol has a negative impact on sleep, including a significant reduction in objective sleep efficiency and significantly lower self-reported sleep quality. Activity levels during the hangover day were significantly reduced compared to the alcohol-free control day. Of note, next-morning retrospective alcohol consumption assessments underestimated real-time beverage recordings. In conclusion, heavy alcohol consumption impairs sleep quality, which is associated with increased next day hangover severity and reduced activity levels. The outcome of this study underlines that, in addition to retrospectively reported data, real-time objective assessments are needed to fully understand the effects of heavy drinking.