Association between sleep duration and 24-hour urine free cortisol in the MrOS Sleep Study.
BACKGROUND
Short sleep duration is associated with adverse health outcomes, but the mechanisms involved are unknown. It has been postulated that short sleep duration may elevate cortisol levels, but studies have had conflicting results. It is unclear whether these differing findings may be due to methodological issues, such as assessment of sleep duration. Specifically, objective versus subjective methods of measuring habitual sleep duration may account for the conflicting results found in epidemiological studies.


OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to determine whether habitual sleep duration, measured objectively (by actigraphy) and subjectively (by self-report), was associated with 24-hour urine free cortisol (UFC), a measure of integrated cortisol secretion. Our secondary goal was to determine whether slow wave sleep (SWS, determined by polysomnography) was associated with 24-hour UFC.


METHODS
Cross sectional study of community dwelling older men.


METHODS
325 men (mean age = 76.6 years, SD = 5.5) from the Portland site of the MrOS Sleep Study, who underwent 24-hour urine collection, polysomnography, actigraphy and sleep questionnaire.


METHODS
24-hour UFC.


RESULTS
In this study of community dwelling older men, self-reported sleep duration was inversely related to 24-hour UFC levels. Participants reporting <5 hours of habitual sleep had an adjusted mean 24-hour UFC of 29.8 ug, compared to 28.0 ug in participants reporting >5 to <8 hours of sleep 25.5 ug in those reporting >8 hours of habitual sleep. However, sleep duration determined by actigraphy was not associated with 24-hour UFC in either univariable or multivariable regression models. SWS was not associated with 24-hour UFC.


CONCLUSIONS
Objectively measured (i.e., actigraphic) sleep duration is not associated with 24-hour UFC in these community dwelling older men. This finding, together with prior studies, suggests that elevated levels of integrated cortisol secretion is not the mechanisms by which short sleep duration leads to adverse health outcomes.
Division of Endocrinology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Madhu N
MN
Rao
Terri
T
Blackwell
Susan
S
Redline
Naresh M
NM
Punjabi
Elizabeth
E
Barrett-Connor
Thomas C
TC
Neylan
Katie L
KL
Stone
D056044:Actigraphy; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep
D006854:Hydrocortisone