A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. Our study reveals novel discovery of 22 gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to genes involved in neurological, thyroidal, bone metabolism, and hematopoietic pathways. These genetic loci reflect specificity towards population background or sex, shedding light on the importance of embracing granularity when addressing the heterogeneity entangled in gene-environment interactions. Our findings underscore the importance of being cognizant of the distinct non-overlapping influences of both extremes of sleep duration, and offer insight into application of gene targets for therapeutic design.