Exploring the relationship between social jetlag with gut microbial composition, diet and cardiometabolic health, in the ZOE PREDICT 1 cohort

Purpose: To explore the relationship between social jetlag (SJL), gut microbial composition, diet and cardiometabolic health in the ZOE PREDICT 1 cohort. Methods: Demographic, dietary, cardiometabolic, stool metagenomics and postprandial metabolic measures were assessed (n = 1002). Self-reported habitual sleep (n = 934) was used to calculate SJL (difference in mid-sleep time point of ≥ 1.5 h on week vs weekend days). Group differences (SJL vs no-SJL) in cardiometabolic markers and diet were tested by ANCOVA adjusting for sex, age, BMI, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. Gut microbial composition comparisons used machine learning and association analyses on species-level genome bins present in at least 20% of samples. Results: The SJL group (16%, n = 145) had a higher proportion of males (39% vs 25%), more short sleepers (<7 h; 5% vs 3%), and were younger (38.4 ± 11.3 y vs 46.8 ± 11.7 y) than the no-SJL group. SJL was associated with higher relative abundance of 9 gut bacteria and lower abundance of 8 gut bacteria (q < 0.2 and absolute Cohen’s effect size > 0.2), partially mediated by diet. SJL was associated with poorer diet quality (lower healthful Plant-based Diet Index), higher intakes of potatoes and sugar-sweetened beverages, lower intakes of fruits and nuts, and slightly higher inflammation markers (GlycA and IL-6) compared with no-SJL (P < 0.05 adjusted), though not significant after multiple testing. Conclusions: Novel associations between SJL and a less favorable gut microbiome in predominantly adequate sleepers highlight potential health implications of SJL.

Kate M Bermingham, Sophie Stensrud, Francesco Asnicar, Ana M Valdes, Paul W Franks, Jonathan Wolf, George Hadjigeorgiou, Richard Davies, Tim D Spector, Nicola Segata, Sarah E Berry, Wendy L Hall