Sleep quality and arterial stiffness in middle-aged and older women

Abstract

Introduction Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Self-reported sleep duration is associated with arterial stiffness. However, there is no study on association between sleep quality and arterial stiffness. We examined whether sleep quality affects arterial stiffness in middle-aged and older women. Materials and methods Thirty-one sedentary middle-aged and older women (age 50–74 years) divided into good ( n = 21, mean age 60.1 years) and poor ( n = 10, 61.2 years) sleepers, based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score (cut-off point of 5.5). Sleep parameters (total sleep time, sleep latency, wake time after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency) were assessed by in-home waist actigraphy across 1 week. The daily sleep duration was also assessed by self-report. All subjects underwent measurements of central (carotid- femoral) pulse wave velocity (PWV) and peripheral (femoral-ankle) PWV as an index of arterial stiffness. Results Objective total sleep time estimated by actigraphy did not differ in both groups, whereas subjective sleep duration obtained by reports was significantly longer in poor sleeper than in good sleeper. In poor sleeper, sleep latency and wake time after sleep onset were significantly higher than good sleeper. Also, sleep efficiency was significantly lower in poor sleeper than good sleeper. Central PWV and peripheral PWV were significantly higher in poor sleeper than in good sleeper. Conclusion Poor sleeper increased sleep latency and wake time after sleep onset, and decreased sleep efficiency. Arterial stiffness increased in poor sleeper. These results suggest that decreased sleep quality increases arterial stiffness in middle-aged and older women. Acknowledgements This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research 2503006 from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.