The Circadian Syndrome Is a Significant and Stronger Predictor for Cardiovascular Disease than the Metabolic Syndrome—The NHANES Survey during 2005–2016

Abstract

The study aimed to compare the predictive value of the Circadian Syndrome (CircS) and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We used data of 12,156 adults aged ≥20 years who attended National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2016. Mortality was obtained from the registry updated to 2019. The CircS was defined based on components of the MetS, in addition to short sleep and depression. Both the MetS and CircS were directly associated with self-reported history of CVD. The odds ratios for prevalent CVD associated with the CircS and MetS, respectively, were 2.92 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.21–3.86) and 3.20 (2.38–4.30) in men, and 3.27 (2.34–4.59) and 3.04 (2.15–4.30) in women. The CircS had a better predictive power for prevalent CVD than that of MetS, as indicated by the higher positive predictive value (PPV); in men, the PPV for prevalent CVD with CircS was 23.1% and with MetS 20.9%, and in women these were 17.9% vs. 16.4%, respectively. However, the PPV of the CircS and MetS did not differ for the CVD mortality prediction. Women with CircS alone had a higher risk for both prevalent CVD and CVD mortality than those with MetS alone. In conclusion, the CircS is a significant and stronger predictor for CVD than the MetS in US adults.