Impact of Liver Disease on Sleep Patterns: Research Findings
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New Delhi, Dec 4 (NationPress) A recent investigation has established a suspected correlation between inadequate sleep and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
MASLD, previously referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, stands as the most prevalent liver condition, impacting 30 percent of adults and between 7 percent and 14 percent of children and teenagers. This trend is anticipated to escalate to more than 55 percent of adults by 2040.
While earlier research indicated that disruptions in the circadian rhythm and sleep patterns could be linked to the onset of MASLD, the latest study conducted by experts from the University of Basel in Switzerland has demonstrated for the first time that the sleep-wake cycle in individuals with MASLD significantly differs from that of healthy counterparts.
In the research published in the journal Frontiers in Network Physiology, the findings revealed that MASLD patients experienced 55 percent more nighttime awakenings and remained 113 percent longer awake after initially falling asleep, in comparison to healthy volunteers.
Moreover, individuals with MASLD tended to sleep more frequently and for extended periods during the daytime.
“Individuals suffering from MASLD endure substantial fragmentation of their nightly sleep due to recurrent awakenings and prolonged wakefulness,” stated Dr. Sofia Schaeffer, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Basel.
The research team engaged 46 adult participants diagnosed with either MASLD, MASH, or MASH with cirrhosis; these were compared with eight patients who had non-MASH-related liver cirrhosis, alongside 16 age-matched healthy individuals.
Each participant was given an actigraph—a device for monitoring gross motor activity—worn on the wrist at all times, which recorded light exposure, physical activity, and body temperature.
The outcome illustrated that sleep quality and patterns, as assessed by the actigraph, were comparably impaired in patients with MASH, MASH with cirrhosis, and non-MASH-related cirrhosis.
Additionally, 32 percent of individuals with MASLD reported sleep disruptions attributed to psychological stress, contrasting with only 6 percent of healthy participants.
The research highlighted that sleep fragmentation is a contributing factor in the development of human MASLD,” remarked Schaeffer.
Although it remains uncertain whether MASLD leads to sleep disorders or the reverse, the underlying mechanisms likely involve genetic factors, environmental influences, and the activation of immune responses—ultimately driven by obesity and metabolic syndrome.
