Work

Associations of actigraphic sleep parameters with adipokines in older adults in the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Study Objectives Sleep and adipokines are important regulators of cardiometabolic health, yet their relationship in older adults remains poorly understood. We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of actigraphic sleep parameters with adipokine levels among older adults and explored sex and central obesity as potential moderators. Materials and Methods We studied 350 participants aged ≥60 years (mean = 74.8 ± 8.3 years, 48.9% females, 19.4% black) from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging who completed 6.5 ± 1.1 nights of wrist actigraphy and provided fasting plasma for adipokine measurements. Predictors were total sleep time (TST), sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, and average wake bout length (AWBL); outcomes were adiponectin and leptin levels. Results At baseline, longer AWBL was associated with lower adiponectin (B = −2.02, 95% CI [−3.61, −0.42], p = .013) and leptin (B = −3.14, [−5.25, −1.03], p = .004) in fully adjusted models. Longer TST, modeled continuously, predicted a greater increase in adiponectin levels over time (B = 0.26, [0.081, 0.44], p = .007), and short TST (<6 h) was linked to subsequent decline in adiponectin (B = −0.90, [−1.72, −0.079], p = .038). Sex and central obesity moderated the baseline AWBL–adiponectin associations, which were significant in females (B = −3.92, [−6.25, −1.59], p = .001) and those with lower central obesity (B = −6.98, [−10.43, −3.53], p < .001). Conclusions Longer sleep duration and shorter wake bouts are linked to more favorable adipokine profiles in older adults, especially in females and those with lower central obesity. Sleep may exert cardiometabolic effects through adipokines in older adults. Statement of Significance Sleep and adipokines play important roles in regulating cardiometabolic health, yet how objectively measured sleep parameters relate to adipokines in older adults remains unclear. This study identifies novel associations of longer sleep duration and more consolidated sleep with more favorable leptin and adiponectin patterns, suggesting a potential biological pathway through which sleep influences metabolic health during aging. The moderating effects of sex and central obesity on sleep-adiponectin associations highlight the importance of considering individual metabolic context when evaluating the impact of sleep on metabolic health. Together, these findings advance the understanding of the links between sleep and adipokine regulation in older adults.

Source: SLEEP Advances

DOI: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpag082