Association between sleep duration and osteoporosis risk in middle-aged and elderly women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Metabolism. 2017 Apr:69:199-206. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2017.01.027. Epub 2017 Jan 26.

Abstract

Objective: Increasing evidence has suggested an association between sleep duration and osteoporosis risk, although the results of previous studies have been inconsistent. To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis of the literature and quantitative estimates of the association between sleep duration and risk of osteoporosis in population-based studies of middle aged and elderly women.

Methods: Pertinent studies were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE databases up to February 2016. Five out of six included studies were cross-sectional and one was a prospective cohort study. They included 72,326 participants from three different countries. We extracted 31,625 individuals in these studies for our meta-analysis.

Results: A pooled odds ratio analysis in women between 40 to 86years indicated that there is an inverse relationship between sleep duration and osteoporosis (overall OR =1.07 95% CI: 1.00-1.15). The negative association of long sleep duration (8h or more per day) with osteoporosis risk was observed in middle aged and elderly women (OR =1.22, 95% CI: 1.06-1.38) but not in women with short sleep duration (7h or less per day) (OR =0.98, 95% CI: 0.90-1.05).

Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that long sleep duration (8h or more per day) may be associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly. Further prospective cohort studies with longer follow-up periods, valid instruments for measurement of sleep duration and dynamic sleep quality are warranted to support the possible relationship between sleep duration and osteoporosis risk in women.

Keywords: Elderly women and meta-analysis; Middle-age women; Osteoporosis risk; Sleep duration.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / epidemiology*
  • Risk Factors
  • Sleep*