Sleep disorders share genetic connection with obesity and schizophrenia

A team of American and British scientists have for the first time discovered genetic connections between sleep disturbance and a range of medical disorders including obesity.

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The researchers identified for the first time areas of the genome that are associated with sleep disturbance – including insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness – and also discovered novel genetic links with several medical conditions, including restless legs syndrome, schizophrenia and obesity. The strongest genetic association for insomnia symptoms fell within a gene previously linked to restless legs syndrome – a nervous system disorder…that leads to a strong urge to move one’s legs, which is often worse at night.

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[Martin K Rutter, MD, FRCP, senior lecturer in Cardiometabolic Medicine from The University of Manchester] says, “This clinical science is an important step forwards in understanding the biological basis for these conditions…[T]his is the first time these biological links have been identified at a molecular level.”

 

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