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Short sleep duration and health outcomes: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

Systematic review and meta-analysis of 153 prospective cohorts (≈5.17 million participants) comparing short sleepers with normal-duration sleepers: short sleep was associated with higher mortality (RR 1.12) and higher incidence of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and obesity in pooled adjusted models.

Design

  • SR + MA + meta-regression of prospective cohorts (follow-up ≥1 year)
  • 153 studies; ≈5,172,710 participants
  • Exposure: short sleep vs normal sleep duration at baseline
  • Outcomes: mortality and incident diabetes, hypertension, CVD, stroke, CHD, obesity, depression, dyslipidemia (latter two lacked usable pooled evidence per abstract)

Pooled adjusted risk ratios (abstract)

  • All-cause mortality: RR 1.12 (95% CI 1.08–1.16)
  • Diabetes mellitus: 1.37 (1.22–1.53)
  • Hypertension: 1.17 (1.09–1.26)
  • Cardiovascular diseases: 1.16 (1.10–1.23)
  • Coronary heart disease: 1.26 (1.15–1.38)
  • Obesity: 1.38 (1.25–1.53)

Dose note

Meta-regression reported a linear association between <6 h sleep and increased mortality; other outcomes did not show significant dose–response in the abstract framing.

Evidence hygiene

Observational sleep categories—residual confounding and sleep-apnea misclassification can inflate associations; pair with intervention trials where available.

Publication

Itani O, et al. Sleep Med. 2017 Apr;32:246-256. PMID 27743803.

Outcomes

  • All-Cause Mortality Risk
    Events: /
  • Short sleep vs normal: incident obesity RR 1.38 (95% CI 1.25-1.53); diabetes RR 1.37 (1.22-1.53); hypertension RR 1.17 (1.09-1.26); CHD RR 1.26 (1.15-1.38) per abstract.
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