# Association of Sleep Duration With Intracranial Atherosclerosis and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Mediation by Metabolic Factors

## TL;DR

Long or short sleep is linked to brain blood vessel disease, partly due to effects on blood pressure and blood sugar.

## Contribution

This study identifies metabolic factors as mediators linking sleep duration to intracranial atherosclerosis and cerebral small vessel disease.

## Key findings

- Long sleep duration is associated with increased intracranial atherosclerosis and cerebral small vessel disease.
- Metabolic factors like blood pressure and fasting glucose partially explain these associations.
- Short sleep is linked to higher risk of brain lesions called lacunes.

## Abstract

This study aimed to explore the relationship between sleep duration and intracranial atherosclerosis and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), and pinpoint the potential mediating factors.

Data were derived from the cross‐sectional baseline survey of the PRECISE (Poly‐vascular Evaluation for Cognitive Impairment and Vascular Events) study. Participants were divided into short sleep (< 7 h), normal sleep (7–9 h), and long sleep (> 9 h) groups. The associations of sleep duration with intracranial atherosclerotic plaque, intracranial atherosclerotic burden, total CSVD score, and CSVD imaging markers were evaluated.

We enrolled 3038 participants (53.5% women; mean age: 61.2 ± 6.7 years). A long sleep duration was correlated with a higher risk of intracranial atherosclerotic plaque (long vs. normal: odds ratio [OR], 1.40 [95% CI, 1.10–1.78]), intracranial atherosclerotic burden (long vs. normal: common OR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.09–1.75]), enlarged perivascular space in the basal ganglia (BG‐EPVS) (long vs. normal: OR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.07–1.97]); a short sleep duration indicated a rise in lacune (short vs. normal: OR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.06–2.63]) after adjustment for covariates. The association of a long sleep duration with intracranial atherosclerotic plaque, intracranial atherosclerotic burden, and BG‐EPVS (mediation percentage: 35.4%, 34.0%, 20.3%, respectively) was partially mediated by metabolic factors of blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose.

Aberrant sleep duration may increase the potential risk for intracranial atherosclerosis and CSVD, which can be partially mediated by blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose. These findings highlight the benefits of clinical management of metabolic factors for those with aberrant sleep duration to prevent intracranial atherosclerosis and CSVD.

NCT03178448

Data of community dweller adults were derived from a survey study (3038 participants). We found that sleep duration is associated with intracranial atherosclerosis and CSVD, and the association of long sleep duration with intracranial atherosclerosis and CSVD was partially mediated by blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose.