Daytime sleepiness, cardiometabolic factors among heightened risks
Dr. Luciano Drager recently led a study that revealed connections between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and short sleep duration (SSD) and several other health-risking factors.
Dr. Drager, MD, PhD, of the Center of Clinical and Epidemiologic Research (CPCE); Hypertension Unit, Heart Institute (InCor); and Hypertension Unit, Renal Division, of the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, compared OSA and SSD to excessive daytime sleepiness, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and several cardiometabolic factors. He found the following:
- SSD was associated with excessive daytime sleepiness; while OSA was independently associated with obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.
“Our findings suggest potential distinct clinical impacts of OSA and SSD,” explained Dr. Drager. “The potential impact on patient care is that our results underscore the need to advance our knowledge of OSA and SSD determination to avoid the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and instead tailor personalized preventive, diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies to our patients.”
The study, which tracked more than 2,000 Brazilian adults between the ages of 35 and 74, reported some findings that might run counter to expectations. For example, the independent racking found a greater number of people than expected with shortened sleep durations. “In this study, only one-quarter of participants slept seven to eight hours on average, the most highly recommended sleep duration for middle-aged adults,” said Dr. Drager.
WebWire also reported that researchers seemed somewhat surprised to find no link between OSA and excessive daytime sleepiness.
SOURCES: WebWire, Chest
