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Causal effects of sleep traits on metabolic syndrome and its components: a Mendelian randomization study

  • Psychiatrics • Original Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Previous observational studies have suggested an association between sleep disturbance and metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, it remains unclear whether this association is causal. This study aims to investigate the causal effects of sleep-related traits on MetS using Mendelian randomization (MR).

Methods

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms strongly associated with daytime napping, insomnia, chronotype, short sleep, and long sleep were selected as genetic instruments from the corresponding genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Summary-level data for MetS were obtained from two independent GWAS datasets. Univariable and multivariable MR analyses were conducted to investigate and verify the causal effects of sleep traits on MetS.

Results

The univariable MR analysis demonstrated that genetically predicted daytime napping and insomnia were associated with increased risk of MetS in both discovery dataset (OR daytime napping = 1.630, 95% CI 1.273, 2.086; OR insomnia = 1.155, 95% CI 1.108, 1.204) and replication dataset (OR daytime napping = 1.325, 95% CI 1.131, 1.551; OR insomnia = 1.072, 95% CI 1.046, 1.099). For components, daytime napping was positively associated with triglycerides (beta = 0.383, 95% CI 0.160, 0.607) and waist circumference (beta = 0.383, 95% CI 0.184, 0.583). Insomnia was positively associated with hypertension (OR = 1.101, 95% CI 1.042, 1.162) and waist circumference (beta = 0.067, 95% CI 0.031, 0.104). The multivariable MR analysis indicated that the adverse effect of daytime napping and insomnia on MetS persisted after adjusting for BMI, smoking, drinking, and another sleep trait.

Conclusion

Our study supported daytime napping and insomnia were potential causal factors for MetS characterized by central obesity, hypertension, or elevated triglycerides.

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Data availability

The data underlying this article are available in the article and in its online supplementary material.

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Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.82304251).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China

    Yongli Yang, Long Wen, Xuezhong Shi, Chaojun Yang, Jingwen Fan, Yi Zhang, Guibin Shen, Huiping Zhou & Xiaocan Jia

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  1. Yongli Yang
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Correspondence to Xiaocan Jia.

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We used publicly available GWAS summary statistics and each GWAS was approved by its corresponding ethics committee and followed the tenants of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Yang, Y., Wen, L., Shi, X. et al. Causal effects of sleep traits on metabolic syndrome and its components: a Mendelian randomization study. Sleep Breath (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-024-03020-5

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