Sleep duration and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in adults not on antihypertensive medications

Short sleep duration has been widely linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We performed a post hoc analysis of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in the Lifestyle Modification in Blood Pressure Lowering Study (LIMBS) and Penn Icelandic Sleep Apnea (PISA) Study. The 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure (BP) was 12.7 mm Hg higher in LIMBS (P < 0.001; n = 66) and 4.7 mm Hg higher in PISA (P = 0.005; n = 153) among participants with shorter sleep duration (less than 7 hours) compared to those with longer sleep duration (at least 7 hours). In multivariable adjusted models, shorter sleep duration was strongly associated with higher systolic BP on 24-hour ABPM, independent of nocturnal BP and in-office BP. There was no effect modification by obstructive sleep apnea. Adults with shorter sleep duration may benefit from screening with 24-hour ABPM to promote earlier detection of hypertension and potentially mitigate their increased risk for future cardiovascular disease.