0865 Sleep Symptoms Associated with Glycohemoglobin in the General US Population: Data from NHANES

Abstract Introduction Previous studies have linked insufficient sleep duration and sleep apnea to the development of Type-2 diabetes but few studies have explored associations between objective diabetes risk and other sleep symptoms in a general population sample. Methods Data were obtained from adults age 20 or older from the NHANES 2017-2020 prepandemic waves. Glycohemoglobin (assessed as HbA1c%) was measured using standard procedures on blood specimens obtained from a nationally-representative sample. Sleep symptoms assessed included general daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbance (frequency of difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep or sleeping too much), daytime tiredness, snoring, and choking/gasping during sleep. Linear regression analyses with HbA1c% as dependent variable were weighted using NHANES population weights. Secondary analyses explored whether these relationships depended on a previous diabetes diagnosis. Results In population-weighted analyses adjusted for age and sex, elevated A1c% was associated with frequent sleepiness (B=0.16, 95%CI [0.04,0.27]), sleep disturbance (B=0.18, 95%CI [0.09,0.27]), daytime tiredness (B=0.11, 95%CI [0.01,0.21]), snoring (B=0.25, 95%CI [0.17,0.33]), and choking/gasping (B=0.25, 95%CI [0.11,0.39]). After further adjustment for race/ethnicity, education, BMI, smoking, and sedentariness, relationships were still significant but attenuated for sleepiness (B=0.14), sleep disturbance (B=0.13), snoring (B=0.11), and choking/gasping (B=0.15). After final adjustment for sleep duration, relationships were still significant for sleepiness (B=0.13), sleep disturbance (B=0.12), snoring (B=0.11), and choking/gasping (B=0.15). No significant sleep-by-diabetes interactions were found. Conclusion General sleep symptoms experienced by many in the population are associated with objective risk for metabolic disease. Sleep health interventions aimed at these symptoms in general population samples may reduce this risk. Support (if any)