Abstract 037: History Of Weight Cycling Is Prospectively Associated With Shorter And Poorer Quality Sleep, And Higher Sleep Apnea Risk In Diverse Us Women: Results From The AHA Go Red For Women Strategically Focused Research Network

Abstract

Introduction: Poor sleep and history of weight cycling (HWC) are associated with worse cardiovascular health, yet limited research has evaluated the association between HWC and poor sleep patterns. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that HWC would be associated with poor sleep in US women. Methods: The AHA Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network cohort at Columbia University (n=506, mean age 37 ± 15.7y, 61% racial/ethnic minority) was used to evaluate cross-sectional associations of HWC and sleep characteristics at baseline, and prospective associations of HWC from baseline with sleep measures at 1-yr. HWC, defined as losing and gaining ≥ 10 lbs at least once (excluding pregnancy), and number of WC episodes were self-reported. Sleep duration, measures of sleep quality, insomnia severity, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk were assessed using the validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, and Berlin questionnaire. Linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education, health insurance status, pregnancy history, and menopausal status, were used to evaluate the relation of HWC with sleep. Results: Most women reported ≥1episode of weight cycling (72%). In linear models of cross-sectional and prospective data, each additional weight cycling episode was related to shorter sleep duration, poorer sleep quality, longer sleep onset latency, greater insomnia severity, more sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction, lower sleep efficiency, and higher sleep medication use frequency. In logistic models, HWC (≥1 vs. 0 episodes) was associated with greater odds for short sleep, poor sleep quality, long sleep onset latency ≥26 min, high OSA risk, and sleep efficiency<85% ( Table ). Conclusion: HWC predicted poor sleep among women, suggesting that weight maintenance may represent an important strategy to promote sleep health. Long-term studies are needed to disentangle the complex relations between weight fluctuations and sleep across the life course.