Exploring the association between sleep insufficiency and self-reported cardiovascular disease among northeastern Greeks.

Objective: To explore the association of sleep characteristics with cardiovascular disease (CVD) using self-reported questionnaires.

Material And Methods: 957 adults between 19 and 86 years old were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The participants were classified into three groups [short (<6h), normal (6-8h), and long (>8h) sleepers] by using multistage stratified cluster sampling. CVD was defined by a positive response to the questions: "Have you been told by a doctor that you have had a heart attack or angina or stroke or have you undergone bypass surgery?". Sleep quality, utilizing Epworth sleepiness scale, Athens insomnia scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index and Berlin questionnaire, was also examined.

Results: Prevalence of CVD was 9.5%. Individuals with CVD exhibited reduced sleep duration by 33 min (<0.001) and sleep efficiency by 10% (<0.001). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusting for subjects' sociodemographic, lifestyle habits and health related characteristics, short sleep duration was almost three times more frequent in patients with CVD (aOR=2.86, <0.001 in the entire sample; aOR=2.68, =0.019 in women and aOR=2.57, =0.009 in men). Furthermore, CVD was significantly associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (aOR=2.02, =0.026), insomnia (aOR=1.93, =0.010), poor sleep quality (aOR=1.90, =0.006) and increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea (aOR=2.08, =0.003).

Conclusion: Our study highlights a strong correlation of sleep insufficiency with CVD and promotes early pharmacological or cognitive behavioral interventions in order to protect cardiovascular health.