Gender Differences in the Association between Sleep Duration and Cardiometabolic Risk: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Inappropriate sleep duration (shorter/longer than optimal sleep duration) has come to be identified as a potential cardiometabolic risk factor, and thereby, as a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Few data exist regarding the gender differences in the relationship between sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a study population of 9262 apparently healthy (5004 male, 4258 female) subjects at the Health Planning Center of Nihon University Hospital between September, 2015, and October 2016.Results: In the male subjects, as compared to a sleep duration of 6 to 7 hours, a sleep duration of ³8 hours was associated with an odds ratio (OR) for abdominal obesity (defined according to the Japanese criteria for metabolic syndrome as a waist circumference of ³85 cm) of 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004-1.71) and for a non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of ³150 mg/dL (defined as “Borderline hyper” by the Japan Atherosclerosis Society Guidelines for Prevention of ASCVD 2017) of 1.33 (1.05-1.68), and a sleep duration of <5 hours was associated with an OR (95% CI) for a fasting blood glucose of ³100 mg/dL (defined as “high” by a specialized lifestyle checkup program for the detection of symptoms of metabolic syndrome in Japan) of 1.74 (1.25-2.42). On the other hand, in the female subjects, as compared to a sleep duration of 6 to 7 hours, a sleep duration of <5 hours was associated with an OR (95% CI) for abdominal obesity (waist circumference ³90 cm) of 1.98 (1.11-3.55) and for a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of ³5.6 % of 1.52 (1.10-2.10), whereas a sleep duration of ³8 hours was not associated with worsening of any of the examined cardiometabolic risk factors. Conclusions: There may be gender differences in the relationship between sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk. To further reduce the risk of ASCVD, it may be of particular importance to emphasize adequate sleep duration.Clinical Trial Registration: UMIN (http://www.umin.ac.jp/) Study ID: UMIN000037643 retrospectively registered on 9 August 2019