BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders have emerged as potential cancer risk factors. OBJECTIVE: This review discusses the relationships between sleep, obesity, and breathing disorders with concomitant risks of developing cancer. RESULTS: Sleep disorders result in abnormal expression of clock genes, decreased immunity, and melatonin release disruption. Therefore, these disorders may contribute to cancer development. Moreover, in sleep breathing disorder, which is frequently experienced by obese persons, the sufferer experiences intermittent hypoxia that may stimulate cancer cell proliferation. DISCUSSION: During short- or long- duration sleep, sleep-wake rhythm disruption may occur. Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea increase cancer risks. In short sleepers, an increased risk of stomach cancer, esophageal squamous cell cancer, and breast cancer was observed. Among long sleepers (>9 hours), the risk of some hematologic malignancies is elevated. CONCLUSION: Several factors including insomnia, circadian disruption, obesity, and intermittent hypoxia in obstructive sleep apnea are contributing risk factors for increased risk of several types of cancers. However, further studies are needed to determine the more significant of these risk factors and their interactions.
: There is increasing number of the patients worldwide with sleep disturbances and diabetes. Various sleep disorders, including long or short sleep duration and poor sleep quality of numerous causes, may increase the risk of diabetes. Some symptoms of diabetes, such as painful peripheral neuropathy and nocturia, or associated other sleep disorders, such as sleep breathing disorders or sleep movement disorders, may influence the sleep quality and quantity. Both sleep disorders and diabetes may lead to cognitive impairment. The risk of development of cognitive impairment in the diabetic patients may be related to vascular and non-vascular and other factors, such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, central insulin resistance, amyloid and tau deposits and other causes. Numerous sleep disorders, e.g., sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, insomnia and poor sleep quality most likely also associated with cognitive impairment. Adequate functioning of the system of clearance of the brain from toxic substances, such as amyloid β, i.e. glymphatic system, is related to undisturbed sleep and prevents cognitive impairment. In case of coexistence, sleep disturbances and diabetes either independently lead to and/or mutually aggravate cognitive impairment.
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