Long sleep duration associated with a higher risk of increased arterial stiffness in males

Study Objectives: We aimed to examine the association between sleep duration and arterial stiffness among adults of different ages, because to date there has been only one study on this relationship, which was confined to middle-aged civil servants. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: A health examination center in National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan. Participants: A total of 3,508 subjects, age 20-87 y, were enrolled after excluding those with a history of cerebrovascular events, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and taking lipid-lowering drugs, antihypertensives, hypoglycemic agents, and anti-inflammatory drugs, from October 2006 to August 2009. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: Sleep duration was classified into three groups: short (< 6 h), normal (6-8 h) and long (> 8 h). Arterial stiffness was measured by brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV), and increased arterial stiffness was defined as baPWV ≥ 1400 cm/sec. The sleep duration was different for subjects with and without increased arterial stiffness in males, but not in females. In the multivariate analysis for males, long sleepers (odds ratio [OR] 1.75, P = 0.034) but not short sleepers (OR 0.98, P = 0.92) had a higher risk of increased arterial stiffness. In addition, age, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hypertension, diabetes, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, cigarette smoking, and exercise were also independently associated factors. However, in females, neither short nor long sleep duration was associated with increased arterial stiffness. Conclusions: Long sleep duration was associated with a higher risk of increased arterial stiffness in males. Short sleepers did not exhibit a significant risk of increased arterial stiffness in either sex.