Diabetics who eat large amounts of food at night may be raising their risk of serious complications, a study suggests.

Researchers found that of 714 patients at their diabetes clinic, about 10 percent said they ate more than one-quarter of their daily calories after dinnertime. These patients were two to three times more likely to be obese, have poor blood sugar control or have multiple diabetes complications, including heart disease, kidney dysfunction and nerve damage.

The findings appear in the journal Diabetes Care.

Such late-night eating can be a sign of night-eating syndrome, a disorder in which people not only take in a large portion of their calories after dinner, but may also get up several times a night to snack - often on fatty, sugary foods.

Researchers believe night-eating syndrome may be part of a reaction to stress. And in the current study, diabetics with such eating habits more frequently reported depression or said they ate in response to anger, sadness and other negative emotions.

Study co-author Dr. Paul S. Ciechanowski of the University of Washington in Seattle said that in his experience, he’s seen many diabetic patients who “eat to regulate their emotions.” People may be especially vulnerable in the evening, he told Reuters Health, when life quiets down and there are fewer distractions from their emotions.

Given the link between night eating and diabetes complications in this study, Ciechanowski advises that diabetics with these eating habits talk to their doctors.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for any underlying depression or emotional issues is one treatment option. And, Ciechanowski noted, a recent study found that the antidepressant Zoloft improved symptoms for some people with night-eating syndrome.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, August 2006.