Sleep Deficit as a Risk Factor for Hypertension in Korean Adults

This study aims to evaluate the association between sleep duration and hypertension in Korean adults aged 30 and older. This is a population-based cross-sectional study using the 2020 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey data. Study subjects numbered 3984 after excluding people with missing data for key exposures and outcome variables. Of the study subjects, 18.8% (n = 748) sleep for less than 6 h a day. Increased risk for hypertension was associated with being male, of old age, unemployed, of low educational achievement, and overweight, as well as drinking, smoking, stress, and short sleep duration. The prevalence of sleep deficit was associated with sex, age, education level, income, and health insurance type. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify whether sleep duration affects the risk of hypertension. In the unadjusted model, the odds ratio (OR) of having hypertension was lower among people sleeping for 7.0-7.9 h (OR = 0.52, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.42-0.64) than those sleeping for fewer than 6 h per day. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors (sex, age, education level, occupation, and health insurance), the OR for 7.0-7.9 h remained significant (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.59-0.92). This association was not significant when the model was further adjusted for health-related factors (smoking, drinking, physical activity, BMI level, and stress). Measures to promote adequate sleep duration should be included in programs to prevent and manage hypertension.