Habitual Sleep Duration and Predicted 10‐Year Cardiovascular Risk Using the Pooled Cohort Risk Equations Among US Adults

BACKGROUND: The association between sleep duration and predicted cardiovascular risk has been poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to examine the association between self‐reported sleep duration and predicted 10‐year cardiovascular risk among US adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from 7690 men and nonpregnant women who were aged 40 to 79 years, who were free of self‐reported heart disease and stroke, and who participated in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2012 were analyzed. Sleep duration was self‐reported. Predicted 10‐year cardiovascular risk was calculated using the pooled cohort equations. Among the included participants, 13.1% reported sleeping ≤5 hours, 24.4% reported sleeping 6 hours, 31.9% reported sleeping 7 hours, 25.2% reported sleeping 8 hours, 4.0% reported sleeping 9 hours, and 1.3% reported sleeping ≥10 hours. After adjustment for covariates, geometric mean–predicted 10‐year cardiovascular risk was 4.0%, 3.6%, 3.4%, 3.5%, 3.7%, and 3.7% among participants who reported sleeping ≤5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and ≥10 hours per night, respectively (P(Wald chi‐square)<0.001). The age‐adjusted percentages of predicted cardiovascular risk ≥20% for the 6 intervals of sleep duration were 14.5%, 11.9%, 11.0%, 11.4%, 11.8%, and 16.3% (P(Wald chi‐square)=0.022). After maximal adjustment, however, sleep duration was not significantly associated with cardiovascular risk ≥20% (P(Wald chi‐square)=0.698). CONCLUSIONS: Mean‐predicted 10‐year cardiovascular risk was lowest among adults who reported sleeping 7 hours per night and increased as participants reported sleeping fewer and more hours.