British researchers said that middle-aged adults who get less than the ideal amount of sleep at night may be at risk for declined brain function, or in simple terms, it causes the brain to age.

The researchers said that the severity of the decline in brain function can be as much as seven years more.

Jane Ferrie, a senior research fellow, said that the society today pressures people to fit more things in our 24-hour schedule. The entire struggle to balance work and life has caused us many of us to trade hours of sleep for more “productive” things.

Ferrie said that their studies showed a link between lack of sleep and impaired or declining cognitive function.

Moreover, the study shows that women who reported an average of 7 hours of sleep have the highest cognitive score while men who sleep for 6-8 hours scored the highest. Consequently, those who reported sleeping less than 6 hours every night – regardless of gender – scored relatively low in the cognitive scores.

Since most of the biological processes in our body take place at night, sleeping gives human beings the ability to recuperate from stressors and oxidants.

Although most people can function relatively well even with less than optimal hours of sleep, it may cause a long-term detrimental effect to us, Ferrie said.

Ferrie further said that chronic short sleep leads to the production of hormones inside the body that causes high blood pressures, diabetes, heart problems, and issues in cholesterol levels.

A recent research study found that poor diagnosis and ineffective treatment of diabetes may place the lives of many people at greater risk for untimely death.

A team of U.S. researchers conducted a study on the diagnosis, treatment and management of diabetes in several countries including Thailand, Iran, England, Iran, Scotland, Mexico and United States.

The study showed that over 16 million adults or almost 90 percent of diabetics aged 35 and older in United States have improper management of blood sugar levels, blood pressure, as well as cholesterol levels.

The researchers from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle also found that 99 percent of diabetic people in Mexico live with this scenario.

Other findings in the study include the low percentage rate of diabetes patients who attained the treatment goals of the International Diabetes Federation for blood glucose, serum cholesterol and blood pressure. Only 1 to 12 percent achieved it.

Diagnosis rates for diabetes were also higher in women than men. Once diagnosed with the condition, most patients do not receive further treatment for other risk factors like cardiovascular diseases that could also be harmful to their health.

It was also shown that people with medical insurances are twice likely to receive proper diagnosis and treatment for diabetes as those people without insurance.

Dr. Stephen Lim, co-author of the study and an associate professor of global health said during an IHME news release that there are too many people who are not properly diagnosed with diabetes, including other related risk factors on the cardiovascular system.

If diagnosed, patients are not also being treated properly. The professor said that it is a huge neglected chance to decrease the cases of diabetes in both poor and rich countries.