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Noordam R, Ao L, Stroo JF, Willems van Dijk K, van Heemst D. No evidence linking sleep traits with white blood cell counts: Multivariable-adjusted and Mendelian randomization analyses. Eur J Clin Invest 2024; 54:e14189. [PMID: 38429948 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disturbances in habitual sleep have been associated with multiple age-associated diseases. However, the biological mechanisms underpinning these associations remain largely unclear. We assessed the possible involvement of the circulating immune system by determining the associations between sleep traits and white blood cell counts using multivariable-adjusted linear regression and Mendelian randomization. METHODS Cross-sectional multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses were done using participants within the normal range of total white blood cell counts (>4.5 × 109 and <11.0 × 109/μL) from UK Biobank. For the sleep traits, we examined (short and long) sleep duration, chronotype, insomnia symptoms and daytime dozing. Two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses were done using instruments for sleep traits derived from European-ancestry participants from UK Biobank (over 410,000 participants) and using SNP-outcome data derived from European-ancestry participants from the Blood Cell Consortium (N = 563,946) to which no data from UK Biobank contributed. RESULTS Using data from 357,656 participants (mean [standard deviation] age: 56.5 [8.1] years, and 44.4% men), we did not find evidence that disturbances in any of the studied sleep traits were associated with differences in blood cell counts (total, lymphocytes, neutrophiles, eosinophiles and basophiles). Also, we did not find associations between disturbances in any of the studied sleep traits and white blood cell counts using Mendelian Randomization. CONCLUSION Based on the results from two different methodologies, disturbances in habitual sleep are unlikely to cause changes in blood cell counts and thereby differences in blood cell counts are unlikely to be underlying the observed sleep-disease associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Noordam
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Linjun Ao
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jasmijn F Stroo
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ko Willems van Dijk
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Diana van Heemst
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Kopels MC, Shattuck EC, Rocha J, Roulette CJ. Investigating the linkages between food insecurity, psychological distress, and poor sleep outcomes among U.S. college students. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24032. [PMID: 38116753 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Research overwhelmingly demonstrates that sleep is key to human health and wellbeing. Several factors likely contribute to sleep quality, including factors, such as food security and low income. In addition, exposure to structural inequalities early in life likely have downstream effects upon multiple dimensions of health. The objective of this study is to fill gaps in literature by specifically examining the associations between childhood food insecurity, current food insecurity, psychological distress, and sleep among college students. METHODS QR codes were randomly distributed to students, linking them to an online quantitative survey. The survey measured sociodemographic variables, food security (current and childhood), diet, mental distress, and sleep quality. A total of n = 134 completed the entire survey. Data were analyzed using binary and multiple linear regressions, as well as cross-tabulations. RESULTS The findings revealed that psychological distress was the primary factor influencing sleep health (𝛽 = 1.51, p < .01). Students reporting higher childhood food insecurity were more likely to experience extreme psychological distress (OR = 4.61), food insecurity in college (OR = 8.41), and lack of stable housing (OR = 5.86). CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that potential linkages exist between childhood food insecurity, poor sleep, and greater psychological distress. While acknowledging the contribution of other factors, the study highlights the importance of addressing food insecurity in relation to sleep health, considering the significant impact of sleep to overall health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam C Kopels
- Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Eric C Shattuck
- Anthropology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Jennifer Rocha
- Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Casey J Roulette
- Anthropology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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Hu W, Han Q, Chu J, Sun N, Li T, Feng Z, He Q, Ma Z, Wang Y, Shen Y. Mechanism of the association between sleep quality and mortality in middle-aged and older adults: A prospective study analysis of the UK Biobank. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2023; 113:105051. [PMID: 37146482 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2023.105051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although sleep quality is known to be associated with mortality, how poor sleep quality contributes to an increased risk of mortality is still unknown. We aimed to examine whether lifestyle, psychosocial and biological factors mediate the association. METHODS 205,654 participants from UK Biobank were used for the analysis. The outcome was all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality by February 2022. Exposure was assessed by a sleep score consisting of five sleep behaviors at baseline. Lifestyle, psychosocial, and biological factors are regarded as potential mediators. Mediation analysis based on Cox proportional hazards models was performed. RESULTS Poor sleep quality was associated with a higher risk of all-cause (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.098; 95% CI: 1.058-1.140), CVD (HR = 1.139; 95% CI: 1.045-1.243) and cancer mortality (HR = 1.095; 95% CI: 1.040-1.152). Lifestyle mediators (smoking, physical activity, sedentary, BMI and diet) could explain between 2.6% and 34.0% of the increased risk of all-cause mortality in individuals with poor sleep quality. Self-reported health, frailty, depression, and loneliness were significant psychosocial mediators of this association pathway. About one-fifth of the association can be explained by the biological role of CRP. Similar mediating patterns were observed for CVD and cancer mortality. LIMITATIONS Both exposure and mediators were measured at baseline, so the possibility of reverse causality cannot be ruled out. CONCLUSIONS Poor sleep quality is associated with an increased risk of death through a combination of lifestyle, psychosocial and biological pathways. Adopting healthy lifestyles and staying psychosocial well-being are cost-effective interventions to lower the risk of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Qiang Han
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Jiadong Chu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Na Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Tongxing Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Zhaolong Feng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Qida He
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Ze Ma
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Yueping Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Suzhou 215123, PR China.
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McKinnon L, Shattuck EC, Samson DR. Sound reasons for unsound sleep: Comparative support for the sentinel hypothesis in industrial and nonindustrial groups. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 11:53-66. [PMID: 36945298 PMCID: PMC10024786 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Sleep is a vulnerable state in which individuals are more susceptible to threat, which may have led to evolved mechanisms for increasing safety. The sentinel hypothesis proposes that brief awakenings during sleep may be a strategy for detecting and responding to environmental threats. Observations of sleep segmentation and group sentinelization in hunter-gatherer and small-scale communities support this hypothesis, but to date it has not been tested in comparisons with industrial populations characterized by more secure sleep environments. Methodology Here, we compare wake after sleep onset (WASO), a quantitative measure of nighttime awakenings, between two nonindustrial and two industrial populations: Hadza hunter-gatherers (n = 33), Malagasy small-scale agriculturalists (n = 38), and Hispanic (n = 1,531) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) (n = 347) Americans. We compared nighttime awakenings between these groups using actigraphically-measured sleep data. We fit linear models to assess whether WASO varies across groups, controlling for sex and age. Results We found that WASO varies significantly by group membership and is highest in Hadza (2.44 h) and Malagasy (1.93 h) and lowest in non-Hispanic Whites (0.69 h). Hispanics demonstrate intermediate WASO (0.86 h), which is significantly more than NHW participants. After performing supplementary analysis within the Hispanic sample, we found that WASO is significantly and positively associated with increased perception of neighborhood violence. Conclusions and implications Consistent with principles central to evolutionary medicine, we propose that evolved mechanisms to increase vigilance during sleep may now be mismatched with relatively safer environments, and in part responsible for driving poor sleep health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leela McKinnon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, CanadaL5L 1C6
| | - Eric C Shattuck
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, CanadaL5L 1C6
- Institute for Health Disparities Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- Department of Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - David R Samson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, CanadaL5L 1C6
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