A new study looking at hundreds of thousands of patients has found that poor sleep may increase a person's risk of developing asthma.
Published in Open Respiratory Research, experts analysed data from the UK Biobank of more than 450,000 adults aged 38-73 over a nine-year period.
It was found that those who had poor sleeping habits - so didn't get seven to nine hours of shut eye each night or suffered insomnia among other factors - may have an increased likelihood of the disease if they already are at a genetic risk for developing asthma.
A total of 17,836 individuals were diagnosed with asthma during the course of the study, according to the researchers.
The NHS states that asthma affects people of all ages and while it often starts in childhood it can also develop for the first time in adults.
The research found that those with a high genetic risk for asthma were found to be 47 percent more likely to be diagnosed with the condition.
As for those who slept poorly, they were at 55 percent more likely to develop the breathing condition.
Overall people at high genetic risk who also reported poor sleep patterns were 122 percent more likely to be diagnosed with asthma than those with both a healthy sleep pattern and a low genetic risk.
The study authors concluded: "This large prospective study indicates that individuals with poor sleep patterns and higher genetic susceptibility have an additive higher asthma risk.
"A healthy sleep pattern was beneficial in asthma prevention regardless of the genetic conditions.
"Early detection and management of sleep disorders could be beneficial to reduce asthma incidence.
As the UK Biobank only provided information on 38–73 year olds, the effect on children and younger adults is still unclear.
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