I'm not sure of your issue. The article used the term "associated" meaning that the above average sleep could be a symptom and/or a cause of those referenced he

I'm not sure of your issue. The article used the term "associated" meaning that the above average sleep could be a symptom and/or a cause of those referenced health problems. The article does a good job of identifying the optimal sleep duration of a healthy individual. (Healthy being free of temporary and permanent ailments.)