The Relationship Between Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Night Eating Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Patients Applying to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic

Meryem Meci Çiftci, Sibel Baktır Altuntaş, Hilal Özkaya

Keywords: Cardiovascular risk, night eating syndrome, sleep quality, obesity, family practice

Aim:

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. Modifiable and behavioral risk factors are believed to play a role in the development of CV diseases. In this context, identifying other behavioral factors that may increase CV risk can be crucial for risk management. Our study aims to investigate the impact of night eating syndrome, sleep quality, sociodemographic characteristics, and anthropometric parameters on cardiovascular disease risk.

Method:

Our study included 137 individuals aged between 40 and 70 who applied to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic. The participants sociodemographic characteristics and anthropometric parameters were recorded. Cardiovascular risk was determined using SCORE-2. The Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) was used for night eating syndrome, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality.

Results:

The average age of the participants was 48.70, with 70.8% being female. The average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 27.94, with 41.6% classified as overweight and 29.2% as obese. 31.4% of the participants had a high, and 11.7% had a very high cardiovascular risk. There was no significant relationship between cardiovascular risk and the total scores and subscales of NEQ and PSQI (p > 0.05). However, a significant association was found between the total scores of NEQ and PSQI (Rho = 0.368, p < 0.001). The total score of NEQ was associated with BMI (Rho = 0.206, p = 0.016).

Conclusions:

In our study, a relationship was found between night eating habits and poor sleep quality. However, neither night eating syndrome nor sleep quality was found to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Night eating habits were found to be associated with increased BMI. In this context, questioning the night eating habits of individuals with an increased BMI, thought to be associated with cardiovascular risk, could be important for preserving individuals health.

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