Association of sleep duration and quality with elevated hs-CRP among healthy Korean adults

This study aimed to investigate the association of sleep duration and quality with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) among middle-aged and elderly Koreans. Among a total of 74,867 participants (25,069 men and 49,798 women) recruited for the Health Examinees (HEXA) study, adjusted geometric means of hs-CRP level were compared across categories of sleep duration (<6, 6-7, 8-9, and ≥10 hours) and sleep quality (difficulty in initiating sleep and maintaining sleep) using ANCOVA models. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for elevated hs-CRP (>3 mg/L) associated with sleep characteristics were estimated using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. Men who slept ≥10 hours per day were significantly associated with elevated hs-CRP (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.11-1.95). Whereas in women, difficulty in initiating sleep (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.04-1.57 for "Always"), and maintaining sleep was significantly associated with elevated hs-CRP levels (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.26 for "Often"; OR = 1.11, 95% CI 0.97-1.28 for "Always"). Additionally, women who experienced poor sleep quality presented an elevated level of hs-CRP (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.23). Our findings suggest that excessive sleep duration and poor sleep quality are significantly associated with the elevated inflammatory marker, specifically hs-CRP. Further research is needed to examine the effect of sleep interventions focused on these factors.