A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations

TL;DR

This study explores how sleep duration interacts with genes to affect blood pressure in over 800,000 people from diverse backgrounds.

Contribution

The study identifies 22 new gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure and highlights distinct biological pathways influenced by sleep extremes.

Findings

22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure were discovered, linked to 23 genes.

Short and long sleep interactions differ, suggesting distinct biological influences on cardiovascular health.

Some loci are population- or sex-specific, emphasizing the need to consider heterogeneity in precision medicine.

Abstract

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discover 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to 23 genes. Investigating these genes’ functional implications shed light on neurological, thyroidal, bone metabolism, and hematopoietic pathways that necessitate future investigation for blood pressure management that caters to sleep health lifestyle. Non-overlap between short sleep (12) and long sleep (10) interactions underscores the plausible nature of distinct influences of both sleep duration extremes in cardiovascular health. Several of our loci are specific towards a particular population background or sex, emphasizing the importance of addressing heterogeneity entangled in gene-environment interactions, when considering precision medicine design approaches for blood pressure management.

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