Discrimination Predicts Suboptimal Adherence to CPAP Treatment and Mediates Black-White Differences in Use.

BACKGROUND: Although racial and ethnic differences in CPAP adherence for OSA are widely established, no studies have examined the influence of perceived racial discrimination on CPAP usage, to our knowledge. RESEARCH QUESTION: (1) Do Black adults with OSA report experiencing greater amounts of discrimination than non-Hispanic White adults? (2) Is discrimination associated with poorer CPAP adherence over time, independent of self-identified race? (3) Does discrimination mediate the relationship between self-identified Black race and CPAP usage? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this prospective study, Black and non-Hispanic White adults with OSA initiating CPAP were enrolled from two sleep centers and completed questionnaires including sociodemographics, perceived discrimination, daytime sleepiness, insomnia symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Perceived discrimination was measured using the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS). Black and White group comparisons for baseline sociodemographic variables, sleep symptoms, and perceived discrimination were performed with Student t test or χ2/Fisher exact test, as appropriate. A linear regression model was completed with self-identified Black race and EDS total score as the primary independent variables of interest and mean daily CPAP usage at 30 and 90 days serving as the dependent outcomes. This regression modeling was repeated after adjusting for psychosocial variables known to be associated with CPAP usage. EDS total score was explored as a potential mediator of the association between self-identified Black race and mean daily CPAP adherence at 30 and 90 days. RESULTS: The sample for this analysis consisted of 78 participants (31% female, 38% Black) with a mean age of 57 ± 14 years. Sixty percent of the Black adults reported they experienced racial discrimination at least a few times each year. Relative to White adults, Black adults were also more likely to indicate more than one reason for discrimination (27% vs 4%, P = .003). Adjusting for discrimination, self-identified Black race was associated with 1.4 (95% CI, -2.3 to -0.4 h; P = .006) and 1.6 (95% CI, -2.6 to -0.6 h; P = .003) fewer hours of mean daily CPAP usage at 30 and 90 days, respectively. In the fully adjusted model, a 1-unit change in the total discrimination score (more discrimination) was associated with a 0.08-h (95% CI, 0.01-0.15 h; P = .029) and 0.08-h (95% CI, 0.01-0.16 h; P = .045) change in mean daily CPAP usage at 30 and 90 days, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Adults with OSA who encountered racial discrimination experienced greater decrement in CPAP usage than those who did not experience racial discrimination.

The effects of social support and support types on continuous positive airway pressure use after 1month of therapy among adults with obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between perceived social support and continuous positive airway pressure remains understudied among individuals with obstructive sleep apnea. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to determine if baseline perceived social support and subtypes predict regular continuous positive airway pressure use after 1month of therapy. METHODS: Adults with obstructive sleep apnea initiating continuous positive airway pressure therapy were recruited from sleep clinics in New York City. Demographics, medical history, and comorbidities were obtained from patient interview and review of medical records. Objective continuous positive airway pressure adherence data was collected at the first clinical follow-up. RESULTS: Seventy-five participants (32% female; non-Hispanic Black 41%; mean age of 56 ± 14years) provided data. In adjusted analyses, poorer levels of overall social support, and subtypes including informational/emotional support, and positive social interactions were associated with lower continuous positive airway pressure use at 1month. Relative to patients reporting higher levels of support, participants endorsing lower levels of overall social support, positive social interaction and emotional/informational support had 1.6 hours (95% CI: 0.5,2.7, hours; p = .007), 1.3 hours (95% CI: 0.2,2.4; p = .026), and 1.2 hours (95% CI: 0.05,2.4; p = .041) lower mean daily continuous positive airway pressure use at 1month, respectively. CONCLUSION: Focusing on social support overall and positive social interaction particularly, could be an effective approach to improve continuous positive airway pressure adherence in patients at risk of suboptimal adherence.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for obstructive sleep apnoea: comparing adherence to active and sham therapy.

Background: Mild obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with daytime sleepiness and impaired quality of life. Given that adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy in OSA is suboptimal, alternative strategies are needed particularly for patients with mild OSA. Daytime neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of the tongue is a new therapeutic modality for mild OSA. The objective of this study was to determine if patients with mild OSA adhere to daytime NMES. Methods: A randomised, sham-controlled, double-masked controlled trial was conducted in 40 patients with mild OSA who received either high-intensity (active) or low-intensity (sham) NMES for 6 weeks. The primary end-point was adherence to therapy. Exploratory outcomes included the respiratory event index (REI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score. Results: More than 90% of participants in each arm were adherent to NMES. Exploratory analyses revealed a 32.7% (95% CI 15.5-49.9%) drop in the REI with active NMES, with no significant change in the REI with sham NMES. Improvements were larger in the supine than non-supine REI. Both the apnoea index and hypopnoea index improved with active NMES. Finally, the ESS score improved with active but not with sham NMES. Conclusions: Daytime NMES was well accepted, with a majority using it for the recommended period. NMES of the tongue use was associated with improvements in OSA severity and daytime sleepiness. Additional research is needed to define its role in the treatment armamentarium across the spectrum of OSA severity and in patients who are intolerant to PAP therapy.

The effect of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in people with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnoea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Comorbid insomnia and sleep apnoea (COMISA) is a highly prevalent and debilitating sleep disorder. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) may be an appropriate treatment for COMISA; however, no previous study has systematically reviewed and meta-analysed literature reporting on the effect of CBTi in people with COMISA. A systematic literature search was conducted across PsychINFO and PubMed (n = 295). In all, 27 full-text records were independently reviewed by at least two authors. Forward- and backward-chain referencing, and hand-searches were used to identify additional studies. Authors of potentially eligible studies were contacted to provide COMISA subgroup data. In total, 21 studies, including 14 independent samples of 1040 participants with COMISA were included. Downs and Black quality assessments were performed. A meta-analysis including nine primary studies measuring the Insomnia Severity Index indicated that CBTi is associated with a large improvement in insomnia severity (Hedges' g = -0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.35, -0.43). Subgroup meta-analyses indicated that CBTi is effective in samples with untreated obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (five studies, Hedges' g = -1.19, 95% CI -1.77, -0.61) and treated OSA (four studies, Hedges' g = -0.55, 95% CI -0.75, -0.35). Publication bias was evaluated by examining the Funnel plot (Egger's regression p = 0.78). Implementation programmes are required to embed COMISA management pathways in sleep clinics worldwide that currently specialise in the management of OSA alone. Future research should investigate and refine CBTi interventions in people with COMISA, including identifying the most effective CBTi components, adaptations, and developing personalised management approaches for this highly prevalent and debilitating condition.

Comorbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea: Assessment and Management Approaches.

Comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA) is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition that is more difficult to treat compared with insomnia alone or sleep apnea alone. Approximately 30% to 50% of sleep clinic patients with sleep apnea report comorbid insomnia symptoms. Comorbid insomnia is associated with lower adherence to positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Management approaches that include targeted treatments for both insomnia and sleep apnea lead to the best treatment outcomes for patients with COMISA. Therefore, sleep clinics should incorporate insomnia and COMISA management pathways including access to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

All-Cause Mortality in People with Co-Occurring Insomnia Symptoms and Sleep Apnea: Analysis of the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort.

Purpose: Insomnia symptoms and sleep apnea frequently co-occur and are associated with worse sleep, daytime function, mental health and quality of life, compared to either insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) alone. This study aimed to investigate the association of symptoms of co-morbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA) with all-cause mortality. Patients and Methods: Wisconsin Sleep Cohort data were analysed to assess potential associations between COMISA symptoms and all-cause mortality. Nocturnal insomnia symptoms were defined as difficulties initiating sleep, maintaining sleep, and/or early morning awakenings "often" or "almost always", and/or regular sedative-hypnotic medicine use. OSA was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index ≥5/hr sleep. Participants were classified as having neither insomnia symptoms nor OSA, insomnia symptoms alone, OSA alone, or COMISA symptoms. Associations between the four groups and all-cause mortality over 20 years of follow-up were examined via multivariable adjusted Cox regression models. Results: Among 1115 adult participants (mean ± SD age 55 ± 8 years, 53% males), 19.1% had COMISA symptoms. After controlling for sociodemographic and behavioral factors, COMISA symptoms were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to no insomnia symptoms or OSA (HR [95% CI]; 1.71 [1.00-2.93]). OSA alone (0.91 [0.53, 1.57]) and insomnia symptoms alone (1.04 [0.55, 1.97]) were not associated with increased mortality risk. Conclusion: Co-morbid insomnia symptoms and sleep apnea is associated with increased all-cause mortality risk. Future research should investigate mechanisms underpinning COMISA and the effectiveness of different treatment approaches to reduce mortality risk for this common condition.

Cardiovascular correlates of sleep apnea phenotypes: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

BACKGROUND: Identifying Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) phenotypes among middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos can facilitate personalized care, better inform treatment decisions, and could lead to improved clinical outcomes. METHODS: We focused on middle-aged and older adults (ages ≥45-74 years at baseline) with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5 from the HCHS/SOL (2008-2011) (unweighted n = 3,545). We used latent class analyses (LCA) to identify empirical and clinically meaningful OSA phenotypes. Sleep variables included AHI, percent sleep time SpO2<90%, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale (WHIIRS) score, self-reported average sleep duration, restless legs symptoms, napping frequency, and self-reported sleep quality. We used survey logistic and Poisson regression to test the associations between our OSA phenotypes and prevalent and incident cardiovascular measures (cardiovascular disease, heart failure, Stroke/TIA, hypertension, diabetes, and the Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Score). RESULTS: Average AHI, ESS, WHIIRS, and sleep duration were 18.1±19.5, 6.3±6.1, 7.4±6.6, and 7.8±1.7 hours, respectively, and 2.9% had zero percent time SpO2 <90%. We identified a three-class solution that clustered individuals into (1) insomnia OSA (44.3%), (2) asymptomatic mild OSA, (36.2%) and (3) symptomatic OSA (19.5%). Elevated WHIIRS and AHI scores primarily drove classification into groups one and three, respectively. In covariate adjusted models, OSA phenotypes were differentially associated with prevalence (baseline and seven years later) and incidence of cardiovascular measures. CONCLUSIONS: OSA subtypes in diverse U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults have different cardiovascular complications. More targeted research, that takes these variations into account, could help ameliorate Hispanic/Latino sleep and cardiovascular health disparities.

Prevalence and correlates of restless legs syndrome in men living with HIV.

BACKGROUND: Data on the prevalence and correlates of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in people with HIV are limited. This study sought to determine the prevalence of RLS, associated clinical correlates, and characterize sleep-related differences in men with and without HIV. METHODS: Sleep-related data were collected in men who have sex with men participating in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). Demographic, health behaviors, HIV status, comorbidities, and serological data were obtained from the MACS visit coinciding with sleep assessments. Participants completed questionnaires, home polysomnography, and wrist actigraphy. RLS status was determined with the Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire. RLS prevalence was compared in men with and without HIV. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine correlates of RLS among all participants and men with HIV alone. Sleep-related differences were examined in men with and without HIV by RLS status. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 942 men (56% HIV+; mean age 57 years; 69% white). The prevalence of definite RLS was comparable in men with and without HIV (9.1% vs 8.7%). In multinomial regression, HIV status was not associated with RLS prevalence. However, white race, anemia, depression, and antidepressant use were each independently associated with RLS. HIV disease duration was also associated with RLS. Men with HIV and RLS reported poorer sleep quality, greater sleepiness, and had worse objective sleep efficiency/fragmentation than men without HIV/RLS. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of RLS in men with and without HIV was similar. Screening for RLS may be considered among people with HIV with insomnia and with long-standing disease.

Phenotypes of obstructive sleep apnea in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Recent work on US Whites from clinical samples used obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms to generate phenotypes for individuals with moderate-severe OSA which suggested 3 to 5 symptom classes. However, it is unknown whether similar classes generalize to diverse Hispanics/Latino adults. Therefore, we sought to fill this gap by empirically deriving sleep phenotypes among a large sample of diverse Hispanics/Latinos. METHODS: We used data from The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL; 2008-2011), a prospective cohort study designed using a multisite multistage probability sample of adults 18-74 years old. The subpopulation of interest included participants with moderate-severe OSA symptoms (≥15 respiratory event index (REI) events per hour; n = 1,605). We performed latent class analysis for complex survey data using 15 common OSA symptoms (e.g. Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and 4 comorbidities to identify phenotype classes. RESULTS: Average age was 52.4 ± 13.9 years and 34.0% were female. Mean REI was 33.8 ± 22.5 events per hour. Fit statistics and clinical significance suggested that a three-class solution provided the best fit to the data. The three phenotypes were: (1) Minimally Symptomatic (47.7%), (2) Excessive sleepiness (37.1%), and (3) Disturbed Sleep (15.2%). Sensitivity models were consistent with the main proposed solution. CONCLUSIONS: Derived sleep phenotypes among diverse Hispanic/Latinos were consistent with recent findings from the Sleep Apnea Global Interdisciplinary Consortium, but we found notable differences in class prevalence relative to Whites. Further research is needed to link derived sleep phenotypes to health comorbidities in diverse populations.

Where to Next for Optimizing Adherence in Large-Scale Trials of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure?

Large-scale randomized trials of positive airway pressure (PAP) efficacy have been largely negative but PAP adherence was notably suboptimal across the trials. To address this limitation, evidence-based PAP adherence protocols embedded within the larger trial protocol are recommended. The complexity of such protocols depends on adequacy of resources, including funding and inclusion of behavioral scientist experts on the scientific team, and trial-specific considerations (eg, target population) and methods. Recommendations for optimizing PAP adherence in large-scale trials are set forth that address rigor and reproducibility.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Positive Airway Pressure Adherence: An Integrative Review.

Nonadherence with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy impedes the effectiveness of treatment and increases risk of mortality. Disparities in PAP adherence as a function of socioeconomic status (SES) are not well understood. A literature search identified 16 original publications meeting inclusion criteria that described effects of SES factors on objective PAP adherence; 69% of these articles found evidence of lower adherence as a function of SES. This integrative review provides a structured summary of the findings, highlights factors that may contribute to disparities among adult PAP users, and identifies future directions to improve equity in the management of OSA.

Actigraphic sleep patterns and cognitive decline in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

INTRODUCTION: We determined if actigraphy-derived sleep patterns led to 7-year cognitive decline in middle-aged to older Hispanic/Latino adults. METHODS: We examined 1035 adults, 45 to 64 years of age, from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Participants had repeated measures of cognitive function 7 years apart, home sleep apnea studies, and 1 week of actigraphy. Survey linear regression evaluated prospective associations between sleep and cognitive change, adjusting for main covariates. RESULTS: Longer sleep-onset latency was associated with declines in global cognitive function, verbal learning, and verbal memory. Longer sleep-onset latency was also cross-sectionally associated with verbal learning, verbal memory, and word fluency. Sleep fragmentation was not associated with cognitive change. CONCLUSION: In a cohort of mostly middle-aged Hispanic/Latinos, actigraphy-derived sleep-onset latency predicted 7-year cognitive change. These findings may serve as targets for sleep interventions of cognitive decline.

Sleep Apnea and Insomnia: Emerging Evidence for Effective Clinical Management.

Comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA) are the most common co-occurring sleep disorders and present many challenges to clinicians. This review provides an overview of the clinical challenges in the management of patients with COMISA, with a focus on recent evidence regarding the evaluation and treatment of COMISA. Innovations in the assessment of COMISA have used profile analyses or dimensional approaches to examine symptom clusters or symptom severity that could be particularly useful in the assessment of COMISA. Recent randomized controlled trials have provided important evidence about the safety and effectiveness of a concomitant treatment approach to COMISA using cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) with positive airway pressure (PAP). Furthermore, patient-centered considerations that integrate patient characteristics, treatment preferences, and accessibility to treatment in the context of COMISA are discussed as opportunities to improve patient care. Based on these recent advances and clinical perspectives, a model for using multidisciplinary, patient-centered care is recommended to optimize the clinical management of patients with COMISA.

Practical Evaluation and Management of Insomnia in Parkinson's Disease: A Review.

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is one of the most common nonmotor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there are few practical guidelines for providers on how to best evaluate and treat this problem. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This review was developed to provide clinicians with a pragmatic approach to assessing and managing insomnia in PD. Recommendations were based on literature review and expert opinion. We addressed the following topics in this review: prevalence of insomnia in PD, sleep-wake mechanisms, theoretical models of insomnia, risk factors, assessment, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments. Insomnia treatment choices may be guided by PD severity, comorbidities, and patient preference. However, there is limited evidence supporting pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacologic treatments of insomnia in PD. CONCLUSIONS: We provide a pragmatic algorithm for evaluating and treating insomnia in PD based on the literature and our clinical experience. We propose personalized insomnia treatment approaches based on age and other issues. Gaps in the existing literature and future directions in the treatment of insomnia in PD are also highlighted.

Reporting results in U.S. clinical trials for obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia: How transparent are they?

BACKGROUND: Clinical trial transparency is important for scientific research and for the good of the general public. Diversity of study samples by race/ethnicity, gender, and age is important to ensure that results are generalizable. Moreover, reporting results might also be necessary to engage racial/ethnic minorities in clinical research. The primary objective of this study was to describe the results of clinical studies conducted for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia, two of the most prevalent sleep disorders. The secondary objective was to identify which factors were associated with voluntarily reporting the results. METHODS: We reviewed ClinicalTrials.gov, the public database of biomedical and behavioral research operated by the United States (U.S.) National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health to ascertain the reports of demographic variables, including race/ethnicity of the studies conducted for OSA and insomnia. Since reporting race/ethnicity was an optional data feature, we searched for publications in PubMed using the unique national clinical trial identification number (NCTID). The national clinical trial identification number is assigned as soon as the trial is registered. The article extraction was conducted by graduate students and supervised by N.J.W. RESULTS: We identified 427 studies on OSA and 404 studies on insomnia. Results were reported for 122 studies. Based on the 122 studies with results that included studies that were terminated (n = 16) and/or completed (n = 105), and one study was listed as "active" but not recruiting. 46.7% studies involved drugs, 30.3% studied a medical device, and 8.2% investigated behavioral interventions. The age range of subjects was 2-99 years of age and 16.4% included an age range of 35-50 years. Twenty-nine studies (23.8%) reported race/ethnicity in ClinicalTrials.gov. Of these, 74% of subjects were white (n = 2,953); 20% black (n = 822); 1% Asian American (n = 40); 2% Hispanic/Latino (n = 77); and 3% of study subjects identified race/ethnicity as "other" (n = 118). With the PubMed search, we found an additional 24 studies that reported race/ethnicity. There was no difference in reports of race/ethnicity between studies for insomnia and studies for OSA. The intervention type labeled as "behavioral" was a significant predictor (odds ratio: 12.49, P-value ≤ .05, confidence interval: 1.002-155.62) for reporting results. CONCLUSION: The National Institutes of Health has mandated federally funded research include women and minorities and that they are representative of the U.S. POPULATION: Though gender was reported, few investigators and study sponsors reported the results of race/ethnicity, which begs the question about trial transparency for the future of sleep research. Presumably, the lack of reporting is related to low enrollment of ethnic/minorities included in these studies. Nonetheless, our key finding warrants increased attention to minority participation in sleep clinical studies and trial transparency.

Predictors of Insomnia Severity Index Profiles in United States Veterans With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) has been used to define insomnia symptoms in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, whether distinct ISI profiles exist in individuals with OSA is unclear. The aims of this study were to determine (1) empirically-based ISI profiles in veterans with OSA and (2) predictors of these ISI profiles. METHODS: Participants were 630 veterans with a new diagnosis of OSA over a 12-month period. Individuals completed the ISI and other questionnaires on the polysomnography (PSG) night. Latent profile analysis was performed to detect ISI subgroups based on individual ISI items. Age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), mood disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain diagnoses were used to predict between ISI profiles. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis identified five ISI subgroups in veterans with OSA. The "asymptomatic" group (12% prevalence) had low scores across all ISI items. The "moderate insomnia" (30% prevalence) and "severe insomnia" (44% prevalence) groups had elevated scores for all ISI items but differing in severity. Last, the "moderate" (6% prevalence) and "severe daytime symptoms" groups (8% prevalence) were characterized by absence of nocturnal complaints but high scores on daytime impairment items. Age, AHI, mood disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain diagnoses discriminated between ISI profiles. CONCLUSIONS: We describe data-driven ISI profiles in veterans with OSA. Older age was associated with lower insomnia and daytime symptom complaints whereas psychological comorbidities were related to more severe insomnia. Caution should be used in interpreting the ISI score in individuals with OSA because a subset had elevated total scores without insomnia.

Employment status and the association of sociocultural stress with sleep in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We examined the association of sociocultural stress severity (i.e. acculturation stress, ethnic discrimination) and chronic stress burden with multiple dimensions of sleep in a population-based sample of US Hispanics/Latinos. We also explored whether employment status modified stress-sleep associations. METHODS: We conducted survey linear regressions to test the cross-sectional association of sociocultural stress severity and stress burden with sleep dimensions using data collected between 2010 and 2013 from individuals who participated in both the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sueño and Sociocultural Ancillary studies (N = 1192). RESULTS: Greater acculturation stress (B = 0.75, standard error [SE] = 0.26, p < .01) and chronic psychosocial stress burden (B = 1.04, SE = 0.18, p < .001) were associated with greater insomnia symptoms but were not associated with actigraphic measures of sleep. Ethnic discrimination was not associated with any of the sleep dimensions. The association of acculturation stress with insomnia severity was greater in unemployed (B = 2.06, SE = 0.34) compared to employed (B = 1.01, SE = 0.31) participants (p-interaction = .08). CONCLUSIONS: Acculturation stress severity and chronic stress burden are important and consistent correlates of insomnia, but not actigraphically measured sleep dimensions. If replicated, future research should test whether interventions targeting the resolution of sociocultural stress improve sleep quality in Hispanics/Latinos.

Cerebral Hemodynamics in Sleep Apnea and Actigraphy-Determined Sleep Duration in a Sample of the Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and actigraphy-defined short sleep duration using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) blood flow velocity in a subsample of Hispanics/Latinos without stroke and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: The sample consisted of consecutive participants at the Miami site of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) with overnight home sleep testing and 7 days of wrist actigraphy in the Sueño sleep ancillary study. Ninety-five participants had sleep data and TCD determined cerebral hemodynamics. We evaluated the association between OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥ 5 events/h) and short sleep duration (< 6.8 hours; sample median) with cerebral blood flow velocities (CBFV) and pulsatility index (PI) for the middle cerebral (MCA) and basilar arteries (BA). RESULTS: Median age was 48 years (range 20-64) with 71% females. Twenty-eight percent of the sample had OSA (AHI ≥ 5 events/h) with median AHI of 10.0 (range 5.0-51.7) events/h. In unadjusted analyses, participants with OSA had lower median CBFV in the BA (30.5 cm/s [interquartile range:10.2] versus 39.4 cm/s [13.3] P < .05), but not the MCA, whereas short sleepers had higher median vascular resistance in the MCA (PI = 0.92 [0.18] versus 0.86 [0.14] P < .05) and BA (PI = 1.0 [0.17] versus 0.93 [0.24] P < .05). After full adjustment, OSA was associated with decreased CBFV (ß [SE] = -5.1 [2.5] P < .05) in the BA. Short sleep was associated with increased PI (ß [SE] = 0.05 [0.02] P < .05) in the MCA. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of Hispanic/Latinos, OSA was associated with decreased daytime blood flow velocity in the BA, whereas actigraphy-defined short sleep duration was associated with increased cerebrovascular pulsatility in the MCA.

Comorbid insomnia symptoms predict lower 6-month adherence to CPAP in US veterans with obstructive sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: There is limited information on the association between pre-treatment insomnia symptoms and dysfunctional sleep beliefs with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in veterans with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Our aims were to describe demographic and sleep characteristics of veterans with and without comorbid insomnia and determine whether pre-treatment insomnia symptoms and dysfunctional sleep beliefs predict CPAP use after 6 months of therapy. METHODS: Hispanic veterans attending the Miami VA sleep clinic were recruited and completed the insomnia severity index, the dysfunctional sleep belief and attitude scale (DBAS), and other questionnaires. Participants were asked to return after 7 days and 1 and 6 months to repeat questionnaires and for objective CPAP adherence download. Hierarchical regression models were performed to determine adjusted associations of pre-treatment insomnia symptoms and DBAS sub-scores on 6-month mean daily CPAP use. RESULTS: Fifty-three participants completed the 6-month follow-up visit with a mean CPAP use of 3.4 ± 1.9 h. Veterans with comorbid insomnia had lower mean daily CPAP use (168 ± 125 vs 237 ± 108 min, p = 0.04) and lower percent daily CPAP use ≥ 4 h (32 ± 32 vs 51 ± 32%, p = 0.05) compared to participants without insomnia. In adjusted analyses, pre-treatment insomnia symptoms (early, late, and aggregated nocturnal symptoms) and sleep dissatisfaction were predictive of lower CPAP use at 6 months. Pre-treatment dysfunctional sleep beliefs were not associated with CPAP adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment nocturnal insomnia symptoms and sleep dissatisfaction predicted poorer 6- month CPAP use. Insomnia treatment preceding or concurrent with CPAP initiation may eliminate a barrier to regular use.