Sleep, eating variability linked to early atherosclerosis in young adults

Individuals with irregular sleep patterns and eating times are more likely to have thicker carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), which is a marker of early atherosclerosis, in early adulthood, according to a study.

The study included 62 generally healthy adults (mean age 29.3 years, 66 percent women) who completed 14 days of sleep and dietary assessments via wrist accelerometry and photo‐assisted diet records, respectively.

Researchers evaluated variability in sleep duration, sleep onset, eating onset (time of first caloric consumption), eating offset (time of last caloric consumption), and caloric midpoint (time at which 50 percent of total daily calories are consumed), all of which were operationalized as the SD of each metric across the monitoring period for each participant.  Multivariable separate regression models were used to examine cross‐sectional associations of sleep and eating variability metrics with end‐diastolic carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT), which was measured via ultrasonography.

Each 60‐minute increase in sleep duration SD and sleep onset SD correlated with an increase in CIMT of 0.049 mm (p=0.003) and 0.048 mm (p=0.007), respectively. Eating onset and offset variability showed no association with CIMT, but every 60‐minute increase in caloric midpoint SD was associated with a 0.033-mm greater CIMT (p=0.029).

Exploratory post hoc analyses showed that CIMT had stronger associations with sleep duration SD and sleep onset SD than with caloric midpoint SD.