Both insufficient and long sleep duration increase risk of osteoarthritis development, reveals study

A new study published in the journal of BMC Public Health showed that both inadequate and longer sleep durations increased osteoarthritis (OA) risk in the middle-aged and older cohorts. One of the most common types of arthritis and a major contributor to disability is osteoarthritis. There is still uncertainty on the relationship between sleep length and OA.

Waist circumference has been linked to both OA and sleep duration, according to studies. Thus, Guoliang Ma and colleagues carried out this study to look at the relationship between sleep duration and OA as well as the role that waist circumference plays as a mediator. Adults who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2018 made up the study sample. Less than 7 hours is considered insufficient sleep, 7 to 8 hours is seen adequate, and 9 hours or more is deemed to be a lengthy sleep period.

In this investigation, 3 models were used. In contrast to Model 2, which was adjusted for sex, age, and race, Model 1 was not modified for any variables. All factors have been taken into consideration in Model 3. The relationship between sleep duration and OA was investigated using multivariable logistic regression, subgroup analysis, interaction testing, and smoothing curve fitting. Using mediation analysis, the mediating role of waist circumference in the relationship between sleep duration and OA was examined.

A total of 2424 people in this research were diagnosed with OA when compared to 9380 who did not. The odds ratios (OR) for OA after multivariable adjustment were 1.19 for those who slept for too little time and 1.18 for those who slept for a long time. A U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and the incidence of OA was discovered.

Furthermore, waist size seems to mediate 12.1% of the association between OA and sleep duration. Long periods of sleep also raise the risk of OA, in addition to inadequate sleep. Mediation studies showed that waist circumference could mediate the associations between OA risk and sleep duration. Therefore, it is crucial to treat middle-aged and older persons' sleep health and abdominal obesity. 

Reference:

Ma, G., Xu, B., Wang, Z., Duan, W., Chen, X., Zhu, L., Yang, B., Zhang, D., Qin, X., Yin, H., & Wei, X. (2024). Non-linear association of sleep duration with osteoarthritis among U.S. middle-aged and older adults. In BMC Public Health (Vol. 24, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21140-1