Circadian disruption impacts Visceral adiposity and BP in teenagers

A new study by Natasha Morales-Ghinaglia and team showed that the influence of Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) on raised blood pressure in teenagers is exacerbated by a delayed and erratic sleep midpoint throughout school and free days, respectively. The findings of this study were published in Hypertension Journal.

Although inadequate sleep has been linked to obesity-related high blood pressure, circadian sleep time has emerged as a new risk factor. As a result, the researchers anticipated that variations in sleep midpoint, a measure of circadian timing of sleep, would alter the relationship between visceral adiposity and high blood pressure in teenagers.

This study included 303 individuals from the Penn State Child Cohort (16.22 years old; 47.5% female; 21.5% racial/ethnic minority). Over a 7-night period, actigraphy-measured sleep duration, variability, midpoint, and regularity were calculated. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess visceral adipose tissue (VAT). In the sitting posture, systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were monitored. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the influence of VAT on Systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure levels while controlling for demographic and sleep covariables. These relationships were also investigated in relation to whether students were in school or on break.

The key findings of this study were:

1. SBP and diastolic blood pressure showed significant interactions between VAT and sleep irregularity, but not sleep midpoint.

2. Moreover, there were significant associations between VAT and the midway of sleep on school days on both SBP and diastolic blood pressure, but not between VAT and the irregularity of sleep on weekdays during breaks.

In conclusion, these findings imply that irregularities in the circadian timing of sleep contributed to the improved cardiovascular sequelae linked to weight gain, and that its unique metrics necessitate evaluation in teenagers under varied entertainment settings.

Reference:

Morales-Ghinaglia, N., Larsen, M., He, F., Calhoun, S. L., Vgontzas, A. N., Liao, J., Liao, D., Bixler, E. O., & Fernandez-Mendoza, J. (2023). Circadian Misalignment Impacts the Association of Visceral Adiposity With Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescents. In Hypertension. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). https://doi.org/10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.20398