Association of cardiometabolic index and glomerular filtration rate with sleep disorders: NHANES 2005-2020

Previous studies have shown that sleep disorders are not only related to cardiac metabolism, but also strongly associated with renal insufficiency. This study aimed to examine whether there is a correlation between cardiometabolic index (CMI), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and sleep disorders in U.S. adults from 2005 to 2020.

This cohort study examined U.S. adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2020 (through March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic). Participants included in the study had complete sleep data, waist circumference, height, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and creatinine levels. Logistic regression modeling was used to assess the potential relationship between CMI, GFR and sleep disorders. We then applied subgroup analyses to investigate the variability of the effects of CMI and GFR on sleep disorders in different groups.

A total of 36,787 U.S. adults (mean [SD] age, 49.3 [17.6] years; 18,882 women [51.3%]) were included in this study. Their mean (SD) CMI and GFR were 2.2 (2.8) and 86.6 (25.1), respectively. Of participants, 14.91% (n=5486) reported having sleep disorders. Compared with the group without sleep disorders, the group with sleep disorders had higher levels of CMI (2.5±3.2 vs. 2.1±2.8) and lower levels of GFR (82.0±24.5 vs. 87.4±25.1). After adjusting for various confounding factors, there was a positive correlation between CMI and sleep disorders. For every unit increase in CMI, the occurrence of sleep disorders increased by 12% (OR 1.12 [95% Cl, 1.08-1.15]). GFR was negatively correlated with sleep disorders, with a 3% decrease in the occurrence of sleep disorders for every unit increase in GFR (OR 0.97 [95% Cl, 0.94-1]). In addition, we also observed differences between subgroups in terms of gender, age, race, and past medical history.

In this national cohort study, higher levels of CMI and lower levels of GFR were independently associated with sleep disorders. Interventions targeting abdominal obesity, lipid levels, and renal function warrant further exploration in future studies.