Sex Differences in Rest-Activity Circadian Rhythm in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Rest-Activity circadian Rhythm (RAR) can be used as a marker of the circadian timing system. Recent studies investigated the relationship between irregular circadian rhythms and cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia. These factors are related to the Metabolic Syndrome (MS), a clustering of metabolic risk factors that increases the risk of several cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This cross-sectional analysis aimed to explore the RAR characteristics by actigraphy in subjects with MS, particularly in relation to sex and MS parameters, using parametric and non-parametric analyses. Distinguishing the characteristics of RAR based on sex could prove useful as a tool to improve the daily level of activity and set up customized activity programs based on each person’s circadian activity profile. This study showed that female participants exhibited higher values than male participants in the Midline Estimating Statistic of Rhythm (MESOR) (243.3 ± 20.0 vs 197.6 ± 17.9 activity count), Amplitude (184.5 ± 18.5 vs 144.2 ± 17.2 activity count), which measures half of the extent of the rhythmic variation in a cycle, and the most active 10-h period (M10) (379.08 ± 16.43 vs 295.13 ± 12.88 activity count). All these parameters are indicative of a higher daily activity level in women. Female participants also had lower Intradaily Variability (IV) than male participants (0.75 ± 0.03 vs 0.85 ± 0.03 activity count), which indicates a more stable and less fragmented RAR. These preliminary data provide the first experimental evidence of a difference in RAR parameters between male and female people with MS.

Rest-Activity Rhythm Is Associated With Obesity Phenotypes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

“…As individuals tend to underreport their weight and over-report their height (39), BMI generated from self-reported measures may be inaccurate, leading to misclassifications and potentially biasing the association between RAR and obesity. Analysis of baseline data of a randomized trial of 97 patients with metabolic syndrome showed that, of all RAR metrics analyzed, only amplitude was inversely correlated with BMI in women, possibly because of the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria and the small sample size (40). Sohail et al (23) assessed the relationship between RAR stability (IS) and metabolic syndrome in the very elderly and found that low IS was associated with increased risk of BMIbased general obesity.…”

“…( 23 ) assessed the relationship between RAR stability (IS) and metabolic syndrome in the very elderly and found that low IS was associated with increased risk of BMI-based general obesity. Of note, these previous studies ( 22 , 23 , 38 , 40 ) evaluated RAR in relation to excess body fat only as expressed by BMI. Abdominal obesity, defined according to waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, is an indicator of visceral fat accumulation ( 41 ) and is a more powerful predictor of chronic diseases and premature death than BMI ( 42 , 43 ).…”

Sleep behavior and daily activity levels in people with metabolic syndrome: effect of 1 year of metformin treatment

“…In addition to physical activity, a more active daily routine and an increment in daily activity levels have been associated with better sleep quality ( 20 ). However, little attention has been given to the daily activity evaluated by RAR in people with MS ( 21 , 22 ).…”

Association between the prevalence rates of circadian syndrome and testosterone deficiency in US males: data from NHANES (2011–2016)

“…The dissonance of the biological clock and endocrine is the primary cause of circadian rhythm disorders. When dysfunctions occur, physiological and pathological disorders such as MetS, cardiovascular diseases, and neuropsychiatric disorders may develop ( 11 , 20 ). All of these factors mentioned above can contribute to TD development ( 21 , 22 ).…”