Abstract
The association between sleep conditions and arterial stiffness remains inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the relationship of sleep duration and quality with brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) in hypertensive patients. A total of 14,485 hypertensive adults were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Information about sleep duration and quality was obtained via questionnaire. A baPWV level ≥1800 cm/s was defined as indicative of arterial stiffness. Compared with participants with a sleep duration <8 h per day, participants with a sleep duration ≥8 h per day had a significantly higher baPWV level (β = 13.7 cm/s; 95% CI: 3.9, 23.5) and a nonsignificantly higher prevalence of arterial stiffness (39.7% vs. 33.0%; OR, 1.08; 95% CI: 0.99-1.19). Similarly, compared with participants with good or medium sleep quality, participants with poor sleep quality had a significantly higher baPWV level (β = 16.3 cm/s; 95% CI: 0.1, 32.6) and a nonsignificantly greater prevalence of arterial stiffness (36.6% vs. 35.3%; OR, 1.13; 95% CI: 0.97-1.32). When sleep duration and quality were examined jointly, participants with a sleep duration ≥8 h and/or poor sleep quality had a significantly higher baPWV level (β = 14.4 cm/s; 95% CI: 5.3, 23.4) and a greater prevalence of arterial stiffness (38.8% vs. 32.7%; OR, 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01-1.20) than those with a sleep duration <8 h and good/medium sleep quality. In summary, among hypertensive patients, a longer sleep duration (≥8 h per day) and poor sleep quality were associated with higher baPWV levels and a higher prevalence of arterial stiffness.