Changes in sleep duration status and risk of high carotid intima-media thickness in children: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background

Short sleep duration is common in the pediatric population and is associated with an increased risk of high carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. However, little is known regarding whether changes in sleep duration status over time can alter the risk of high cIMT in children.

Objectives

To examine the association between changes in sleep duration status and high cIMT in a cohort study of Chinese children.

Methods

A total of 1115 children aged 6–11 years were enrolled in 2017 and then followed up in 2021 in the Huantai Childhood Cardiovascular Health Cohort Study. Children were categorized into four groups based on their sleep duration status (short vs. normal) at baseline and follow-up: persistent normal sleep duration, incident short sleep duration, resolved short sleep duration, and persistent short sleep duration. High cIMT was defined as cIMT levels ≥ age- and sex-specific 90th percentile values of this population.

Results

Compared with children who maintained normal sleep duration, those with incident short sleep duration (odds ratio [OR]: 1.71, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–2.77) or persistent short sleep duration (OR: 4.07, 95 % CI: 2.10–7.89) had a significantly increased risk of high cIMT at follow-up. Conversely, children who had short sleep duration at baseline but normal sleep duration at follow-up did not have an increased risk of high cIMT (OR: 1.08, 95 % CI: 0.47–2.49).

Conclusion

The development or persistence of short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of high cIMT in children, whereas the resolution of short sleep duration may reduce such risk. These findings underscore the importance of preventing and managing short sleep duration to promote cardiovascular health in children.