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Insomnia and endothelial function - the HUNT 3 fitness study

Linn B Strand1, Lars E Laugsand, Eli-Anne Skaug

  • 1Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. linn.b.strand@ntnu.no

Plos One
|December 14, 2012
PubMed

Insights

This study found no clear link between insomnia and endothelial function, a marker of early atherosclerosis. However, early morning awakenings in women may be associated with poorer endothelial function.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Atherosclerosis Research

Background:

  • Insomnia is a known risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • Mechanisms linking insomnia to CHD remain unclear.
  • Endothelial function, a marker of preclinical atherosclerosis, has not been studied in relation to insomnia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between insomnia symptoms and endothelial function.
  • To assess endothelial function as a potential mechanism linking insomnia to coronary heart disease.
  • To analyze data from a large population-based study of healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Included 4,739 participants without pre-existing cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other relevant conditions.
  • Assessed insomnia symptoms including difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, early awakenings, and daytime sleepiness.
  • Measured endothelial function using brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD).

Main Results:

  • No consistent association was found between overall insomnia symptoms and endothelial function in adjusted models.
  • A potential association was observed between early morning awakenings and lower endothelial function in women (p=0.03).

Conclusions:

  • Endothelial function does not appear to be a significant mediator linking insomnia to coronary heart disease.
  • Further research is necessary to understand the complex relationship between sleep disturbances and cardiovascular disease.
Abstract

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