Associations Between Sleep, Physical Activity, And Rest-Activity Rhythms With CVD Risk Factors In Desk Workers

PURPOSE: Disrupted 24-hour movement behavior patterns—including poor sleep, prolonged sedentary behavior (SED), and low levels of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)—are each independently associated with an increased risk of developing CVD. However, most studies have examined these behaviors in isolation. We sought to examine the associations of sleep, physical activity (PA), and rest-activity rhythms (RARs) with CVD risk factors in adult desk workers. METHODS: 171 adults with desk jobs and elevated blood pressure (BP) were included in analyses (86% White; 58.3% female; age 44.4 ± 10.8; resting systolic BP [SBP] = 128.1 ± 8.3 mmHg, resting diastolic BP [DBP] = 82.9 ± 6.7 mmHg). Participants wore an Actiwatch Spectrum accelerometer on their nondominant wrist for up to 7 days to assess sleep and derive RAR estimates. RAR variables were quantified using extended cosine and non-parametric approaches. Light PA, MVPA, and SED (total, short-bout [<30 min], long-bout [≥30 min]) were assessed with waist-worn ActiGraph GT3x and thigh-worn activPAL micro3 accelerometers, each worn for up to 7 days. Resting pulse wave velocity was captured from the right carotid and femoral arteries via tonometry. BP was assessed at rest and using 24-hour ambulatory monitoring, with separation into daytime and nocturnal BP. Multivariable regression models adjusted for gender, age, and body mass index were fitted; p-values were adjusted for multiplicity with the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. RESULTS: Of the 8 sleep variables assessed, greater wake after sleep onset was associated with higher nocturnal SBP (β = 0.151, p = .048) and nocturnal DBP (β = 0.310, p = .008). Of the 14 RAR variables assessed, lower intradaily variability (IV), lower relative amplitude (RA), greater activity during the most active 10-hour period (M10), and greater activity during the least active 5-hour period (L5) were associated with higher nocturnal SBP (IV: β = -0.184, p = .045; RA: β = -0.195, p = .037; M10: β = 0.130, p = .037; L5: β = 0.223, p = .028). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions targeting time awake after sleep onset and/or increasing daily variability in activity may be approaches to lower nocturnal blood pressure in sedentary desk workers with elevated blood pressure, however additional research is needed. Research supported by NIH grants R01HL134809 and R01HL147610