Abstract
Introduction
Aging increases the risk of insomnia and elevated blood pressure (BP). Here, we examined in older men whether reports of difficulty falling asleep (DIS) and early morning awakenings (EMA) are associated with 24-h BP and heart rate.
Methods
We utilized variables from 995 men (mean age: 71 years) who participated in the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM). BP and heart rate were measured over 24 hours.
Results
Non-dippers (night-to-day BP ratio > 0.90) had a higher risk of hypertension than dippers (systolic non-dippers vs. systolic dippers, OR [95%CI]: 1.64 [1.21, 2.21], P=0.001; diastolic non-dippers vs. diastolic dippers, 1.50 [1.10, 2.04], P=0.01). Compared to men without DIS, men who reported DIS (10% of the cohort) had a higher risk of diastolic non-dipping (1.85 [1.19, 2.87], P=0.006). Similarly, men who reported EMA (19% of the cohort) had a higher risk of diastolic non-dipping than those without EMA (1.59 [1.12, 2.24], P=0.009). Despite a slightly higher nocturnal diastolic BP among men with EMA vs. those without EMA (+1.4 mmHg, P=0.035), no other differences in BP and heart rate were found between men with and those without insomnia complaints.
Conclusion
Our findings uncover a link between disruption in nocturnal dipping of diastolic BP and insomnia symptoms related to difficulty initiating sleep and early morning awakening in older men.
Support
Authors’ work is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (C.B., NNF19OC0056777), Swedish Brain Research Foundation (C.B., FO2019-0028), Swedish Research Council (C.B., 2015-03100), Åke Wiberg Foundation (X.T., M18-0169, M19-0266), Fredrik and Ingrid Thuring Foundation (X.T., 2018-00365), and the Swedish Medical Research Society (X.T., P18-0084).