Short Sleep Duration Associated with a Higher Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in an Apparently Healthy Population

Objective: To examine the association between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome in an apparently healthy Chinese population.

Method: The baseline data were collected from a health examination center in Tainan, Taiwan, from October 1, 2006, to August 31, 2009. A total of 7100 adults were recruited. Subjects were classified into three groups according to their sleep duration: short (<6 h), normal (6-8 h), and long sleepers (>8 h).

Results: There were significant differences in age, gender, education level, fasting plasma glucose, and the proportion of smoking status and exercise frequency among different sleep groups. Based on multiple logistic regression, short sleepers were positively associated with metabolic syndrome (OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.01-1.63) in males but not in females (OR=1.04, 95% CI: 0.72-1.51). Long sleepers were not related with metabolic syndrome in both genders. Short sleep duration was independently related to hyperglycemia (OR=1.39, 95% CI: 1.10-1.74) also in males only. Other components such as hypertriglyceridemia, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure and central obesity were not associated with short sleep duration.

Conclusion: Males with short sleep duration are positively associated with metabolic syndrome and they also exhibited a higher prevalence of hyperglycemia.