1094 Associations Between Sleep Health and Chronic Conditions: A Cross-sectional Study of NHANES 2017–2020

Abstract Introduction Influenced by a range of lifestyle choices, environmental exposures, technological advancements, and health-related conditions, sleep impairment has become a significant public health concern. Sleep is increasingly acknowledged as a core component of overall health. Prevalent among adult populations, sleep disturbances not only impose substantial economic burden, but also increase the risk of chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate the impact of dimensions of sleep health on the probability of having 5 key public health outcomes. Methods This study utilized data from 2 editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) conducted in the United States between 2017 and March 2020, yielding a final sample size ranging from 7,361 to 7,373 participants. Sleep health was assessed considering 5 main domains: symptoms indicative of sleep breathing disorders, other sleep disorders symptoms, frequency of daytime sleepiness, weekly sleep regularity (social jetlag), and chronotype (determined by mid-sleep on free days adjusted for sleep debt on workdays - MSFsc). The primary outcomes evaluated were the likelihood of having cardiovascular, respiratory and thyroid diseases, stroke, and cancer. Binary logistic regression models were employed in the analysis of the data. Results The participants had a mean age of 49.9 years, with 51.2% identifying as women and a mean body mass index of 30.0kg/m². Respiratory disease was reported by 20.5% of participants, thyroid disease by 11.4%, cancer by 9.9%, cardiovascular disease by 8.5%, and stroke by 4.6%. Concerning sleep-related variables, 27.5% of participants reported difficulty sleeping, 47.4% experienced snoring, 12.3% had episodes of breathing cessation during sleep, and 25% presented symptoms of daytime sleepiness. The mean social jetlag was approximately 3 hours, with MSFsc occurring around 3:00 AM. Sleep difficulties were associated with a higher risk of all outcomes except stroke. Excessive daytime sleepiness was significantly related to increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular, respiratory, and thyroid diseases. A later chronotype was associated with a higher risk of thyroid, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. Conclusion Impaired sleep health, specifically marked by insomnia and sleep apnea symptoms, and later chronotype, was associated with increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular, respiratory, and thyroid diseases. Support (if any) AFIP, CNPq, and FAPESP.