Rest/activity rhythms and cardiovascular disease in older men

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Sleep Science

Background:

• Prior research indicates a potential link between disrupted circadian rest/activity rhythms (RARs) and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in older adults.
• Understanding the specific associations between RARs and CVD events in aging male populations is crucial for preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between disrupted circadian rest/activity rhythms (RARs) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in older men.
• To examine associations between specific RAR parameters and composite CVD outcomes, including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and peripheral vascular disease (PVD).

Main Methods:

• Utilized wrist actigraphy to objectively measure RARs in 2968 men aged 67 years and older over approximately 115 consecutive hours.
• Calculated RAR parameters and categorized them into quartiles for association analysis with CVD events.
• Defined CVD events as a composite outcome of CHD, stroke, and PVD, with secondary analyses for individual components.

Main Results:

• Reduced amplitude and greater minimum activity in RARs were significantly associated with an increased risk of overall CVD events in multivariable-adjusted models.
• Reduced amplitude and greater minimum activity were independently linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events.
• Reduced F value and later acrophase of RARs were associated with an increased risk of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) events.

Conclusions:

• Among older men, decreased robustness of circadian activity rhythms (lower amplitude, higher minimum activity) is associated with elevated CVD event risk, primarily driven by CHD and stroke.
• While reduced rhythmicity was not linked to overall CVD risk, it showed an association with increased PVD risk.
• Further research is needed to confirm these findings in diverse populations.