Journal article
Habitual sleep duration is associated with heightened muscle sympathetic nerve activation and blood pressure reactivity in response to the cold pressor test
Journal of applied physiology (1985), Vol.139(5), pp.1293-1299
11/2025
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00808.2025
PMCID: PMC12723999
PMID: 41087056
Abstract
The link between short sleep duration and cardiovascular disease may be related to exaggerated neurocardiovascular reactivity. We examined the association of actigraphy-measured habitual sleep duration (HSD) with muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and blood pressure (BP) at rest and in response to a cold pressor test (CPT). Thirteen adults (5 males/8 females; 30 ± 9 yr; 26.9 ± 5.8 kg/m2, 117 ± 13/76 ± 6 mmHg) were instrumented for measurement of beat-to-beat BP, forearm vascular resistance, and MSNA at rest and during a 2-min CPT. HSD was measured using wrist actigraphy across 6–7 days. Partial correlations (rXY·Z) described the relation between HSD with sympathetic and cardiovascular activity at rest and in response to the CPT (Δ), accounting for sex, age, and relative body fat. The CPT induced increases in systolic (+8.1 ± 7 mmHg; P = 0.002), diastolic (+6.4 ± 4; P < 0.001), and mean BP (+7.0 ± 4; P < 0.001), as well as in MSNA burst frequency (+9.1 ± 8 bursts/min; P = 0.001), burst incidence (+11.5 ± 11 bursts/100 heartbeats; P = 0.003), and total MSNA (+1,296.6 ± 1,329 total normalized burst area/min; P = 0.004). HSD was not associated with resting MSNA or BP (all P > 0.14). However, HSD was strongly associated with the CPT-induced changes in MSNA burst frequency (rXY·Z = −0.69; P = 0.028), diastolic (rXY·Z = −0.69; P = 0.028), and mean BP (rXY·Z = −0.77; P = 0.009). Although HSD is not strongly associated with resting sympathetic neural activity or BP, it is associated with sympathetic and BP reactivity to physiological stress. These findings support an important role for MSNA and BP reactivity in the described association of sleep duration with CVD risk.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Habitual sleep duration is associated with heightened muscle sympathetic nerve activation and blood pressure reactivity in response to the cold pressor test
- Creators
- Nathaniel D M Jenkins - University of IowaNatasha G Boyes - University of MissouriDain W Jacob - University of MissouriBrian Shariffi - University of MissouriSamuel A Martin - University of MissouriJacqueline K Limberg - University of Missouri
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of applied physiology (1985), Vol.139(5), pp.1293-1299
- DOI
- 10.1152/japplphysiol.00808.2025
- PMID
- 41087056
- PMCID
- PMC12723999
- NLM abbreviation
- J Appl Physiol (1985)
- ISSN
- 8750-7587
- eISSN
- 1522-1601
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Grant note
- L30HL149066 / HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) John F. Perkins Research Career Enhancement Award / American Physiological Society (APS) R01HL167788 / HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) 24TPA1290435 / American Heart Association (AHA) R01HL153523 / HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 10/14/2025
- Date published
- 11/2025
- Academic Unit
- Center for Social Science Innovation; Injury Prevention Research Center; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology
- Record Identifier
- 9985016009202771
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