Sleep-Circadian Rhythms, Sleep Disparities, and Healthy Aging: Circadian Disruption, the Lurking “Geriatric Giant”

Background: Older adults exhibit more fragmented circadian rhythm as they age, and undergo age-related changes in sleep patterns that influence sleep duration, timing, and overall satisfaction. Several challenges exist in conducting inclusive research for promoting healthy sleep and aging over the lifespan. Multiple sleep dimensions exist and complicate synthesis of sleep findings. Sleep health disparities also disproportionately affect the same populations that experience overall health disparities, yet diverse groups are underrepresented. Methods: Study 1 examined prospective associations between self-reported sleep from the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (n=10,640) and actigraphy-derived sleep/circadian measures from Sueño (n=1,808) with multimorbidity at follow-up. Study 2 used an ensemble of machine learning techniques to identify accelerometry-derived sleep and circadian profiles; we then examined associations between sleep-circadian profiles, fall risk, and physical functioning among 4,543 diverse older women in OPACH. Study 3 linked accelerometry data, claims, and genetic data to construct two network models to simultaneously evaluate the relationship between multiple sleep rest-activity rhythm measures with each cognitive outcome (e.g., dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease). Results: In study 1, several sleep and circadian measures were associated with comorbidity at follow-up, and we observed effect modification of these associations by US-born and non-US-born status and duration of residency. In study 2, we identified multiple sleep and circadian profiles using machine learning, and these profiles were associated with greater fall risk and lower physical functioning. In study 3, several circadian measures were indirectly associated with dementia and AD and shared a central hub in the network model. Results from adjusted survival models showed consistent associations with the network model. Conclusion: This analysis enhances the field of life course epidemiology and sleep disparities research, having identified sleep and circadian behaviors as risk factors for disease and worse aging at middle and older ages. This study also highlights study designs that promote inclusive research when performing epidemiological studies on sleep

Associations of daily steps and step intensity with incident diabetes in a prospective cohort study of older women : The OPACH Study

OBJECTIVE The primary aim was to assess associations between total steps per day and incident diabetes, whereas the secondary aim was to assess whether the intensity and/or cadence of steps is associated with incident diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Women without physician-diagnosed diabetes (n = 4,838; mean [SD] age 78.9 [6.7] years) were followed up to 6.9 years; 395 developed diabetes. Hip-worn ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers worn for 1 week enabled measures of total, light-intensity, and moderate- to vigorous-intensity (MV-intensity) steps per day. Using Cox proportional hazards analysis we modeled adjusted change in the hazard rate for incident diabetes associated with total, light-intensity, and MV-intensity steps per day. We further estimated the proportion of the steps-diabetes association mediated by BMI. RESULTS On average, participants took 3,729 (SD 2,114) steps/day, of which 1,875 (791) were light-intensity steps and 1,854 ± 1,762 were MV-intensity. More steps per day were associated with a lower hazard rate for incident diabetes. Confounder-adjusted models for a 2,000 steps/day increment yielded hazard ratio (HR) 0.88 (95% CI 0.78–1.00; P = 0.046). After further adjustment for BMI, HR was 0.90 (95% CI 0.80–1.02; P = 0.11). BMI did not significantly mediate the steps-diabetes association (proportion mediated = 17.7% [95% CI −55.0 to 142.0]; P = 0.09]). The relationship between MV-intensity steps per day (HR 0.86 [95% CI 0.74–1.00]; P = 0.04) and incident diabetes was stronger than for light-intensity steps per day (HR 0.97 [95% CI 0.73–1.29]; P = 0.84). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that for older adults, more steps per day are associated with lower incident diabetes and MV-intensity steps are most strongly associated with a lower hazard of diabetes. This evidence supports that regular stepping is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes prevention in older adults

Moderate Alcohol Use Is Associated with Reduced Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged Men Independent of Health, Behavior, Psychosocial, and Earlier Life Factors.

We examined whether the often-reported protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk could arise from confounding. Our sample comprised 908 men (56-67 years), free of prevalent CVD. Participants were categorized into 6 groups: never drinkers, former drinkers, and very light (1-4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5-14 drinks), moderate (15-28 drinks), and at-risk (>28 drinks) drinkers. Generalized linear mixed effect models examined the associations of alcohol use with three established CVD risk scores: The Framingham Risk Score (FRS); the atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk score; and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) Severity score, adjusting for group differences in demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. In separate models we additionally adjusted for several groups of potentially explanatory factors including socioeconomic status, social support, physical and mental health status, childhood factors, and prior history of alcohol misuse. Results showed lower CVD risk among light and moderate alcohol drinkers, relative to very light drinkers, for all CVD risk scores, independent of demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. Alcohol-CVD risk associations were robust to further adjustment for several groups of potential explanatory factors. Study limitations include the all-male sample with limited racial and ethnic diversity, and the inability to adjust for sugar consumption and for patterns of alcohol consumption. Although this observational study does not address causation, results show that middle-aged men who consume alcohol in moderation have lower CVD risk and better cardiometabolic health than men who consume little or no alcohol, independent of a variety of health, behavioral, psychosocial, and earlier life factors

Moderate Alcohol Use Is Associated with Reduced Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged Men Independent of Health, Behavior, Psychosocial, and Earlier Life Factors

We examined whether the often-reported protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk could arise from confounding. Our sample comprised 908 men (56–67 years), free of prevalent CVD. Participants were categorized into 6 groups: never drinkers, former drinkers, and very light (1–4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5–14 drinks), moderate (15–28 drinks), and at-risk (>28 drinks) drinkers. Generalized linear mixed effect models examined the associations of alcohol use with three established CVD risk scores: The Framingham Risk Score (FRS); the atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk score; and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) Severity score, adjusting for group differences in demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. In separate models we additionally adjusted for several groups of potentially explanatory factors including socioeconomic status, social support, physical and mental health status, childhood factors, and prior history of alcohol misuse. Results showed lower CVD risk among light and moderate alcohol drinkers, relative to very light drinkers, for all CVD risk scores, independent of demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. Alcohol-CVD risk associations were robust to further adjustment for several groups of potential explanatory factors. Study limitations include the all-male sample with limited racial and ethnic diversity, and the inability to adjust for sugar consumption and for patterns of alcohol consumption. Although this observational study does not address causation, results show that middle-aged men who consume alcohol in moderation have lower CVD risk and better cardiometabolic health than men who consume little or no alcohol, independent of a variety of health, behavioral, psychosocial, and earlier life factors

Alcohol use and cognitive aging in middle-aged men: The Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging

ObjectiveTo determine associations of alcohol use with cognitive aging among middle-aged men.Method1,608 male twins (mean 57 years at baseline) participated in up to three visits over 12 years, from 2003-2007 to 2016-2019. Participants were classified into six groups based on current and past self-reported alcohol use: lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, very light (1-4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5-14 drinks), moderate (15-28 drinks), and at-risk drinkers (>28 drinks in past 14 days). Linear mixed-effects regressions modeled cognitive trajectories by alcohol group, with time-based models evaluating rate of decline as a function of baseline alcohol use, and age-based models evaluating age-related differences in performance by current alcohol use. Analyses used standardized cognitive domain factor scores and adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related factors.ResultsPerformance decreased over time in all domains. Relative to very light drinkers, former drinkers showed worse verbal fluency performance, by -0.21 SD (95% CI -0.35, -0.07), and at-risk drinkers showed faster working memory decline, by 0.14 SD (95% CI 0.02, -0.20) per decade. There was no evidence of protective associations of light/moderate drinking on rate of decline. In age-based models, light drinkers displayed better memory performance at advanced ages than very light drinkers (+0.14 SD; 95% CI 0.02, 0.20 per 10-years older age); likely attributable to residual confounding or reverse association.ConclusionsAlcohol consumption showed minimal associations with cognitive aging among middle-aged men. Stronger associations of alcohol with cognitive aging may become apparent at older ages, when cognitive abilities decline more rapidly