Abstract
BACKGROUND: Short and less efficient sleep may be risk factors for atherosclerosis. Few studies have investigated the associations between sleep characteristics and early cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the associations between coronary artery calcification (CAC) and Framingham risk score profile with sleep characteristics in middle-aged men and women with no history of diagnosed myocardial infarction, interventional cardiology procedures, stroke, diabetes, or sleep disorders. METHOD: 224 participants enrolled in an epidemiological study of disparities in CVD risk were recruited for a 9-night assessment of sleep, with 2 nights of polysomnography (PSG) and 9 nights of actigraphy and sleep diaries. Of the 224 participants, 110 had high/moderate Framingham risk scores and 114 had low scores; 195 had computed tomography measures of CAC. RESULTS: Individuals who had any CAC or higher Framingham risk scores had elevated apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) values, independent of age, race, and gender. The AHI association with CAC was nonsignificant in analyses adjusting for body mass index (BMI). Those with higher Framingham risk score profiles had shorter PSG sleep duration and less percent stage 3-4 and delta power sleep. High blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy were related to AHI and sleep duration, independent of BMI. Neither sleep duration nor efficiency was associated with CAC. CONCLUSIONS: CAC was not associated with AHI, independent of BMI in a community-based sample of middle-aged men and women. Framingham risk score profiles were related to poor sleep. Sleep duration may not be related to early plaque burden in relatively healthy individuals.