Association between sleep patterns, genetic risk, and rheumatoid arthritis risk

Summaries 1 min 20

Font Size

Created On: 16/01/2025

A cohort study explored the relationship between sleep behaviors and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and examined whether this connection varies by genetic risk levels (low, intermediate, or high).

See All

Key take away

Insomnia, daytime tiredness, and deviations in sleep duration—either short or long—along with the sleep risk score, increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background

Method

Volunteers without RA at baseline from the UK Biobank were incorporated. Utilizing Cox proportional hazards regression models, the link between 5 sleep behaviors and the risk of RA was assessed. A sleep risk score combining these 5 behaviors was then created to gauge its impact on RA risk. A genetic risk score was also developed to examine the combined impact of sleep rhythms and genetic vulnerability on the chances of developing RA.

Result

Among the 375,133 volunteers at baseline, 4,913 incident RA cases were recognized over a median follow-up of 11.73 years. Insomnia and daytime sleepiness were linked to a 33% and 38% amplified risk of RA, respectively. A U-shaped relationship was witnessed between sleep duration and RA risk, with a 29% higher risk for short sleepers and a 30% higher risk for long sleepers. Those with unfavorable sleep patterns exhibited a 63% higher risk of RA when compared to those with favorable sleep patterns. Those with both unfavorable sleep habits and high genetic risk portrayed the highest RA risk, although no pivotal multiplicative or additive interaction was found.

Conclusion

Insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and both insufficient and excessive sleep durations, in addition to the sleep risk score, were found to escalate the risk of RA.