Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation and Cardiovascular Outcomes for Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Sham-controlled trials are needed to characterize the effect of hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) therapy on cardiovascular end points in patients with moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Objective: To determine the effect of therapeutic levels of HGNS, compared to sham levels, on blood pressure, sympathetic activity, and vascular function. Design, Setting, and Participants: This double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized crossover therapy trial was conducted from 2018 to 2022 at 3 separate academic medical centers. Adult patients with OSA who already had an HGNS device implanted and were adherent and clinically optimized to HGNS therapy were included. Participants who had fallen asleep while driving within 1 year prior to HGNS implantation were excluded from the trial. Data analysis was performed from January to September 2022. Interventions: Participants underwent a 4-week period of active HGNS therapy and a 4-week period of sham HGNS therapy in a randomized order. Each 4-week period concluded with collection of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), pre-ejection period (PEP), and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) values. Main Outcomes and Measures: The change in mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure was the primary outcome, with other ABPM end points exploratory, and PEP and FMD were cosecondary end points. Results: Participants (n = 60) were older (mean [SD] age, 67.3 [9.9] years), overweight (mean [SD] body mass index, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, 28.7 [4.6]), predominantly male (38 [63%]), and had severe OSA at baseline (mean [SD] apnea-hypopnea index, 33.1 [14.9] events/h). There were no differences observed between active and sham therapy in 24-hour systolic blood pressure (mean change on active therapy, -0.18 [95% CI, -2.21 to 1.84] mm Hg), PEP (mean change on active therapy, 0.11 [95% CI, -5.43 to 5.66] milliseconds), or FMD (mean change on active therapy, -0.17% [95% CI, -1.88% to 1.54%]). Larger differences between active and sham therapy were observed in a per-protocol analysis set (n = 20) defined as experiencing at least a 50% reduction in apnea-hypopnea index between sham and active treatment. Conclusions and Relevance: In this sham-controlled HGNS randomized clinical trial, mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure and other cardiovascular measures were not significantly different between sham and active HGNS therapy. Several methodologic lessons can be gleaned to inform future HGNS randomized clinical trials. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03359096.

Sphinganine is associated with 24-h MAP in the non-sleepy with OSA.

INTRODUCTION: Excessive daytime sleepiness is a debilitating symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) linked to cardiovascular disease, and metabolomic mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unknown. We examine whether metabolites from inflammatory and oxidative stress-related pathways that were identified in our prior work could be involved in connecting the two phenomena. METHODS: This study included 57 sleepy (Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) ≥ 10) and 37 non-sleepy (ESS < 10) participants newly diagnosed and untreated for OSA that completed an overnight in-lab or at home sleep study who were recruited from the Emory Mechanisms of Sleepiness Symptoms Study (EMOSS). Differences in fasting blood samples of metabolites were explored in participants with sleepiness versus those without and multiple linear regression models were utilized to examine the association between metabolites and mean arterial pressure (MAP). RESULTS: The 24-h MAP was higher in sleepy 92.8 mmHg (8.4) as compared to non-sleepy 88.8 mmHg (8.1) individuals (P = 0.03). Although targeted metabolites were not significantly associated with MAP, when we stratified by sleepiness group, we found that sphinganine is significantly associated with MAP (Estimate = 8.7, SE = 3.7, P = 0.045) in non-sleepy patients when controlling for age, BMI, smoking status, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to evaluate the relationship of inflammation and oxidative stress related metabolites in sleepy versus non-sleepy participants with newly diagnosed OSA and their association with 24-h MAP. Our study suggests that Sphinganine is associated with 24 hour MAP in the non-sleepy participants with OSA.

Dutasteride Improves Nocturia but Does Not Lead to Better Sleep: Results from the REDUCE Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: In men, complaints of nocturia causing poor sleep are often attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia and treated with benign prostatic hyperplasia medications. We assessed whether treating lower urinary tract symptoms with dutasteride altered either nocturia or sleep quality using data from REDUCE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: REDUCE was a 4-year randomized, multicenter trial comparing dutasteride 0.5 mg/day vs placebo for prostate cancer chemoprevention. Study participants were men considered at increased risk for prostate cancer. Eligibility included age 50-75 years, prostate specific antigen 2.5-10 ng/ml, and 1 negative prostate biopsy. At baseline, 2 years and 4 years, men completed the International Prostate Symptom Score and Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale, a 6-item scale assessing sleep. To test differences in nocturia and Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale over time, we used linear mixed models adjusted for baseline confounders. Subanalyses were conducted in men symptomatic from lower urinary tract symptoms, nocturia, poor sleep, or combinations thereof. RESULTS: Of 6,914 men with complete baseline data, 80% and 59% were assessed at 2 and 4-year followup, respectively. Baseline characteristics were balanced between treatment arms. Dutasteride improved nocturia at 2 (-0.15, 95% CI -0.21, -0.09) and 4 years (-0.24, 95% CI -0.31, -0.18) but did not improve sleep. When limited to men symptomatic from lower urinary tract symptoms, nocturia, poor sleep or combinations thereof, results mirrored findings from the full cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In men with poor sleep who complain of nocturia, treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms with dutasteride modestly improves nocturia but has no effect on sleep. These results suggest men with poor sleep who complain of nocturia may not benefit from oral benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment.

Partial Validation of the Sleep Health Construct in the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Questionnaire.

Sleep health is postulated as a multi-dimensional construct comprised of sleepiness/alertness, timing, duration, efficiency, and satisfaction. New questionnaires for its measurement have been proposed. We performed secondary data analyses and analyzed responses on a widely used, well-established sleep questionnaire to determine whether the construct might be detectable with an existing questionnaire. Healthy men (n = 7604) aged 55-75 completed the six-item Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Questionnaire (MOSSQ) at baseline in a large, randomized clinical trial [the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) trial). Two components clearly emerged from a Principal Components Analysis, suggesting that both sleep disturbance and sleep satisfaction are differentiated by the MOSSQ. Selected elements of sleep health are accessible with relatively few questionnaire items. Widespread previous usage of the MOSSQ in both descriptive and interventional research suggests that many previously collected databases could address at least two components of this construct.

Sleep quality and prostate cancer aggressiveness: Results from the REDUCE trial.

BACKGROUND: Disrupted sleep has been associated with increased risk of certain cancers. Little data exist in prostate cancer. We tested the association between sleep quality and prostate cancer diagnosis overall and by tumor grade in the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events chemoprevention trial. We hypothesized that worse sleep quality would be associated with increased tumor aggressiveness. METHODS: At baseline, 5614 men completed a validated six-item questionnaire on sleep quality. We generated a composite score categorized into tertiles to measure overall sleep quality and assessed each sleep quality question individually. Logistic regression was used to test associations between baseline sleep quality and overall, low-grade and high-grade prostate cancer diagnosis at 2-year study-mandated biopsy. Models were stratified by nocturia. RESULTS: Overall sleep quality was unrelated to overall or low-grade prostate cancer. Worse overall sleep quality was associated with elevated odds of high-grade prostate cancer (odds ratio [OR]T3vsT1 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-1.60 and ORT2vsT1 1.39; 95% CI: 1.01-1.92). Men reporting trouble falling asleep at night sometimes vs never had elevated odds of high-grade prostate cancer (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.08-2.09) while trouble staying awake during the day was associated with decreased odds of low-grade prostate cancer (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49-0.86). Results were similar within strata of nocturia severity. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, associations between sleep quality and prostate cancer were inconsistent. However, there was some evidence for a positive association between insomnia and high-grade prostate cancer, and an inverse relationship between daytime sleepiness and low-grade prostate cancer; findings that should be validated by future studies.

Overlap between nocturnal polyuria, diurnal polyuria, and 24-h polyuria among men with nocturia.

PURPOSE: A recent update in International Continence Society (ICS) terminology now recognizes nocturnal polyuria (NP) and diurnal polyuria (DP) as related subcategories of "Polyuria (global symptom)". This study determines the real-world clinical overlap between NP, DP, and 24-h polyuria (24hP) among men with nocturia. METHODS: Analysis of frequency-volume charts from men ≥ 18 years with ≥ 1 nocturnal void(s). Three separate analyses were performed using different rate criteria for NP, DP, and 24hP: (1) urine production > 90 mL/h (extrapolated from a proposed definition for NP); (2) > 125 mL/h (extrapolated from a proposed definition for 24hP [3000 mL/24 h]); and (3) > 1.67 mL/kg/h (extrapolated from the current ICS definition for 24hP [> 40 mL/kg/24 h]). Subjects were categorized as having one of five mathematically permissible phenotypic combinations: (1) isolated NP, (2) isolated DP, (3) NP + 24hP, (4) DP + 24hP, and (5) NP + DP + 24hP. RESULTS: 167, 95, and 61 patients were included at criteria 1, 2, and 3, respectively, with 56%, 43%, and 30% of patients demonstrating overlapping phenotypes (i.e., phenotypic combinations 3-5) at cut-offs 1-3, respectively. The prevalence of NP was similar across cut-offs (81-87%), but the prevalence of NP without 24hP was highly threshold-dependent (43-73%). CONCLUSION: Consistent with current ICS terminology, there exists a substantial overlap between NP, DP, and 24hP. As demonstrated in the current study, absolute volume-based criteria for NP/DP/24hP are indeed conducive to the diagnosis of concurrent NP + 24hP, and may be preferred over proportion-based NP criteria when both NP + 24hP are suspected.

Phenotyping nocturnal polyuria: circadian and age-related variations in diuresis rate, free water clearance and sodium clearance.

BACKGROUND: this study compares diuresis rate, sodium clearance and free water clearance (FWC) by age and time of day (nighttime vs. daytime) in subjects with and without nocturnal polyuria (NP) to determine whether these variables affect the phenotype of NP. METHODS: post hoc analysis of two prospective observational studies. Eight urine samples collected at 3-h intervals and a single blood sample were used to calculate daytime (10a/1p/4p/7p/10p) and nighttime (1a/4a/7a) diuresis rates, sodium clearance and FWC. Three mixed linear models were constructed for diuresis rate, sodium clearance and FWC using four predictor variables: NP status (present [nocturnal urine production >90 ml/h] vs. absent [≤90 ml/h]), time of day, age and study identification. RESULTS: subjects with NP experienced higher nighttime versus daytime diuresis rates, sodium clearance and FWC. Regardless of NP status, increased age was accompanied by an increase in the ratio of nighttime/daytime diuresis rate, nighttime sodium clearance and daytime sodium clearance. FWC showed a complex age effect, which was independent of time of day or NP status. CONCLUSIONS: age-related increases in nighttime/daytime diuresis rate, 24-h sodium clearance and 24-h FWC are not specific to subjects with NP. The age-related surge in either nocturnal sodium clearance or nocturnal FWC may represent the relevant substrate for behavioural or pharmacologic interventions targeting sodium diuresis or free water diuresis, respectively. Increases in FWC in older age groups may reflect impaired circadian rhythmicity of endogenous AVP or changes in responsiveness of the aged nephron to water clearance.

Restless Legs Syndrome in Chronic Kidney Disease: Is Iron or Inflammatory Status To Blame?

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is increased in pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD). In adults without CKD, central nervous system iron deficiency is involved in RLS pathogenesis and a low serum ferritin levels is consequently an indication for initiation of iron therapy. However, children with CKD are at risk for iron deficiency and inflammation, which raises serum ferritin. We examined the role of iron deficiency and inflammation in RLS in pediatric CKD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study examined RLS prevalence in three groups of pediatric patients with CKD: nontransplant, nondialysis CKD (estimated GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²) (n = 27); renal transplant recipients (n = 65); and dialysis (n = 32). RLS was diagnosed using a validated questionnaire. Serum ferritin < 100 ng/mL or transferrin saturation < 20% defined iron deficiency. Serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein ≥ 1 mg/L defined inflammation. RESULTS: Among 124 patients, RLS prevalence was 15.3%; this did not differ across groups. There was no significant difference in RLS prevalence between those with and without iron deficiency, defined by either reduced ferritin or transferrin. Median ferritin levels in patients with RLS tended to be higher than in those without RLS (51.2 versus 40.1 ng/mL; P = .08). Inflammation (elevated CRP) also did not differ significantly by RLS status (57.9% [with RLS] versus 41.2% [without RLS], P = .18). CONCLUSIONS: Neither ferritin nor inflammation differentiated pediatric patients with CKD with and without RLS. This study suggests that the factors mediating the pathogenesis and, potentially, treatment, of RLS in pediatric CKD may be different from non-CKD populations.

Systemic exertion intolerance disease/chronic fatigue syndrome is common in sleep centre patients with hypersomnolence: A retrospective pilot study.

Symptoms of the central disorders of hypersomnolence extend beyond excessive daytime sleepiness to include non-restorative sleep, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. They share much in common with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, recently renamed systemic exertion intolerance disease, whose additional features include post-exertional malaise and orthostatic intolerance. We sought to determine the frequency and correlates of systemic exertion intolerance disease in a hypersomnolent population. One-hundred and eighty-seven hypersomnolent patients completed questionnaires regarding sleepiness and fatigue; questionnaires and clinical records were used to assess for systemic exertion intolerance disease. Sleep studies, hypocretin and cataplexy were additionally used to assign diagnoses of hypersomnolence disorders or sleep apnea. Included diagnoses were idiopathic hypersomnia (n = 63), narcolepsy type 2 (n = 25), persistent sleepiness after obstructive sleep apnea treatment (n = 25), short habitual sleep duration (n = 41), and sleepiness with normal sleep study (n = 33). Twenty-one percent met systemic exertion intolerance disease criteria, and the frequency of systemic exertion intolerance disease was not different across sleep diagnoses (p = .37). Patients with systemic exertion intolerance disease were no different from those without this diagnosis by gender, age, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, depressive symptoms, or sleep study parameters. The whole cohort reported substantial fatigue on questionnaires, but the systemic exertion intolerance disease group exhibited more profound fatigue and was less likely to respond to traditional wake-promoting agents (88.6% versus 67.7%, p = .01). Systemic exertion intolerance disease appears to be a common co-morbidity in patients with hypersomnolence, which is not specific to hypersomnolence subtype but may portend a poorer prognosis for treatment response.

Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation and Heart Rate Variability: Analysis of STAR Trial Responders.

OBJECTIVE: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation represents a novel therapy for the treatment of moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnea; nonetheless, its cardiovascular effects are not known. We examine the effects of hypoglossal nerve stimulation on heart rate variability, a measure of autonomic function. STUDY DESIGN: Substudy of the STAR trial (Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction): a multicenter prospective single-group cohort. SETTING: Academic and private practice centers in the United States and Europe. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A subset of responder participants (n = 46) from the STAR trial was randomized to therapy withdrawal or therapy maintenance 12 months after surgery. Heart rate variability analysis included standard deviation of the R-R interval (SDNN), low-frequency power of the R-R interval, and high-frequency power of the R-R interval. Analysis was performed by sleep with 5-minute sliding window epochs during baseline, 12 months, and the maintenance/withdrawal period. RESULTS: A significant improvement from baseline to 12 months in heart rate variability was seen for SDNN and low frequency across all sleep stages. SDNN analysis demonstrated no change in the wake period (mean ± SD: 0.042 ± 0.01 vs 0.077 ± 0.07, P = .19). Reduction in SDNN was correlated to improvement in apnea-hypopnea index ( r = 0.39, P = .03). In the therapy withdrawal group, no significant changes in SDNN were seen for N1/N2, N3, or rapid eye movement sleep. CONCLUSION: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy appears to reduce heart rate variability during sleep. This reduction was not affected by a 1-week withdrawal period. Larger prospective studies are required to better understand the effect of hypoglossal nerve stimulation on autonomic dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea.

Nocturia and associated mortality: observational data from the REDUCE trial.

BACKGROUND: Nocturia (voids arising from sleep) is a ubiquitous phenomenon reflecting many diverse conditions but whether it has significance in its own right remains uncertain. We examined whether nocturia was an independent risk factor for mortality METHODS: These were observational analyses employing primarily North American and European participants and included 7343 men, aged 50-75 years participating in the REDUCE (Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events) trial. Cox proportional hazards models were used to test the association between baseline nocturia (voiding ≥3 times per night) and all-cause mortality. Potential confounding variables included: age; race; region of origin; treatment group; self-reported coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease; smoking; alcohol use; prostate volume; and diuretics. Self-reported sleep quality, as measured with the Medical Outcomes Study sleep scale, was entered as a final step in the model. RESULTS: Nocturia was associated with increased mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.72; 95% CI 1.15-2.55) independent from demographics and medical comorbidities. Inclusion of disturbed sleep in the model reduced the magnitude of the association (HR = 1.43; 95% CI 0.93-2.19). CONCLUSIONS: Although the findings are limited to men, half of whom ingested dutasteride, the interruption of sleep by nocturia may have long-term impact on health and may warrant targeted intervention.

Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence, Restless Legs Syndrome, and Surgery With General Anesthesia: Patient Perceptions.

Introduction: The importance of obstructive sleep apnea in patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia is well-defined, but the surgical and anesthetic implications of other sleep disorders are less clear. We sought to evaluate response to surgery with general anesthesia in patients with central disorders of hypersomnolence or restless legs syndrome. Methods: We surveyed patients on their most recent surgical procedure with general anesthesia, querying about procedure, recovery, and any changes in sleep disorder symptomatology following the procedure. Results: Forty-five patients with restless legs syndrome and 57 patients with central disorders of hypersomnolence (15 narcolepsy type 2, 1 narcolepsy type 1, 30 idiopathic hypersomnia, 1 Kleine-Levin syndrome, and 10 subjective sleepiness) completed the survey, with response rates of 45.5 and 53.8%, respectively. While patients in both groups were equally likely to report surgical complications and difficulty awakening from anesthesia, hypersomnolent patients were more likely to report worsened sleepiness (40% of the hypersomnolent group vs. 11% of the RLS group, p = 0.001) and worsening of their sleep disorder symptoms (40% of the hypersomnolent group vs. 9% of the RLS group, p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Patients with sleep disorders other than sleep apnea frequently report surgical or anesthetic complications. Patients with hypersomnolence disorders commonly perceive that their sleep disorder worsened following a procedure; whether this might be related to long term effects of general anesthesia in a particularly vulnerable clinical population requires further study.

Surgical Treatment of OSA on Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: OSA is an increasingly prevalent clinical problem with significant effects on quality of life and cardiovascular risk. Surgical therapy represents an important treatment for those unable to use positive airway pressure. This systematic review examines the available cardiovascular risk reduction data for the surgical treatment of OSA. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed. Articles were included if they met the following criteria: (1) the sample population consisted of adults (age ≥ 18 years); (2) OSA was diagnosed according to a sleep study; (3) surgical intervention was performed for OSA; and (4) one or more physical or biochemical cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular variables was measured preoperatively and at ≥ 14 days postoperatively. RESULTS: Thirty-three articles were included. The majority of studies were case series and cohort studies (42% and 44%, respectively), with wide-ranging follow-up periods (4 weeks-9 years) and sample sizes (range, 6-10,339; median, 34). The following classes of surgical intervention were examined: pharyngeal surgery (n = 23), tracheostomy (n = 6), maxillomandibular advancement (n = 3), and hypoglossal nerve stimulation (n = 1). In total, 19 outcome measures were assessed. Tracheostomy was most consistently associated with improvement in cardiovascular end points. Pharyngeal surgeries (eg, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) were variably associated with improvement in cardiovascular end points. CONCLUSIONS: The published literature examining cardiovascular end points following surgical treatment of OSA is limited and generally of poor quality. However, available data from mainly small and observational studies suggest that surgical treatment of OSA may provide improvement in some cardiovascular end points. Larger, randomized, and prospective trials with more rigorous study designs are needed. TRIAL REGISTRY: PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systemic Reviews (PROSPERO 42016040120).

Habitual and Recent Sleep Durations: Graded and Interactive Risk for Impaired Glycemic Control in a Biracial Population.

BACKGROUND: We examined how habitual sleep duration interacts with recent sleep (2 nights) to predict morning oral glucose tolerance test results. We hypothesized that short habitual and recent sleep durations would be additive for poor glucose control. METHODS: A biracial population of adults (n = 1559) without known diabetes and recruited from the workforce of 2 urban universities was assessed for glycated hemoglobin and underwent oral glucose tolerance testing. We used plasma 2-hour postloading (75 g) measurements. Participants answered sleep questions using 30-minute forced-choice formats. We employed multivariable logistic regression to derive odds ratios. RESULTS: Shorter habitual sleep duration was associated with greater odds ratios of glycated hemoglobin ≥6.0% increasing by 30-minute intervals beginning at <7.0 hours and were more pronounced as durations shortened. Among participants with glycated hemoglobin <6.0% and <7.0 hours of habitual sleep (n = 636), abnormal glucose tolerance (2-hour oral glucose tolerance test ≥140 mg/dL) was significantly associated with a total sleep duration of ≤11 hours the 2 nights preceding oral glucose tolerance testing, but was not associated with longer sleep durations. Results were independent of age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking, history of cardiovascular disease, or use of antihypertensive or cholesterol-lowering medication. Additional analyses implied that longer-than-usual recent sleep durations were protective for abnormal oral glucose tolerance testing. DISCUSSION: Short habitual and recent sleep durations interact in predicting abnormal glucose on oral glucose tolerance testing. Self-reported data are sufficiently sensitive to reflect 30-minute differences in sleep between individuals. Future studies examining other aspects of sleep, such as perceived sleep quality and objectively measured sleep duration and architecture, would be necessary to confirm these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Short sleep duration for 2 nights prior to morning oral glucose tolerance testing may elevate glucose levels, this effect being detected among individuals habitually obtaining <7 hours sleep and obtaining ≤11 hours of sleep for 2 nights preceding testing.

Traffic-related air pollution and sleep in the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

Little is known about environmental determinants of sleep. We investigated the association between black carbon (BC), a marker of traffic-related air pollution, and sleep measures among participants of the Boston Area Community Health Survey. We also sought to assess the impact of sociodemographic factors, health conditions, and season on associations. Residential 24-h BC was estimated from a validated land-use regression model for 3821 participants and averaged over 1-6 months and 1 year. Sleep measures included questionnaire-assessed sleep duration, sleep latency, and sleep apnea. Linear and logistic regression models controlling for confounders estimated the association between sleep measures and BC. Effect modification was tested with interaction terms. Main effects were not observed between BC and sleep measures. However, in stratified models, males experienced 0.23 h less sleep (95% CI: -0.42, -0.03) and those with low SES 0.25 h less sleep (95% CI: -0.48, -0.01) per IQR increase in annual BC (0.21 µg/m(3)). In blacks, sleep duration increased with annual BC (ß=0.34 per IQR; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.57). Similar findings were observed for short sleep (≤5 h). BC was not associated with sleep apnea or sleep latency, however, long-term exposure may be associated with shorter sleep duration, particularly in men and those with low SES, and longer sleep duration in blacks.

Obstructive sleep apnea in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: comparison with matched population data.

Patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) frequently have coexisting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We aimed to determine if the prevalence and severity of OSA is greater in patients with IIH than would be expected, given their other risk factors for OSA. We included 24 patients (20 women, four men) with newly-diagnosed IIH who had undergone overnight polysomnography. We calculated the expected apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) for each patient, based on their age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), and menopausal status, using a model derived from 1,741 randomly-sampled members of the general population who had undergone overnight polysomnography. We compared the AHI values obtained from polysomnography with those predicted by the model using a paired t test. Our study had 80 % power to detect a 10-unit change in mean AHI at α = 0.05. Eight patients (33.3 %; six women, two men) had OSA by polysomnography. AHIs from polysomnography were not significantly different from those predicted by the model (mean difference 3.5, 95 % CI: -3.0-9.9, p = 0.28). We conclude that the prevalence and severity of OSA in IIH patients is no greater than would be expected for their age, sex, race, BMI, and menopausal status. It remains unclear whether the presence or treatment of OSA influences the clinical course of IIH.

Elevated C-reactive protein is associated with severe periodic leg movements of sleep in patients with restless legs syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep disorder in which urges to move the legs are felt during rest, are felt at night, and are improved by leg movement. RLS has been implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease. Periodic leg movements (PLMs) may be a mediator of this relationship. We evaluated systemic inflammation and PLMs in RLS patients to further assess cardiovascular risk. METHODS: 137 RLS patients had PLM measurements taken while unmedicated for RLS. Banked plasma was assayed for high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). RESULTS: Mean (SD) PLM index was 19.3 (22.0). PLMs were unrelated to TNF-a and IL-6, but were modestly correlated with logCRP (r(129)=0.19, p=0.03). Those patients with at least 45PLMs/h had an odds ratio of 3.56 (95% CI 1.26-10.03, p=0.02, df=1) for having elevated CRP compared to those with fewer than 45PLMs/h. After adjustment for age, race, gender, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, inflammatory disorders, CRP-lowering medications, and body mass index, the OR for those with ≥ 45PLMs/h was 8.60 (95% CI 1.23 to 60.17, p=0.03, df=10). CONCLUSIONS: PLMs are associated with increased inflammation, such that those RLS patients with at least 45PLMs/h had more than triple the odds of elevated CRP than those with fewer PLMs. Further investigation into PLMs and inflammation is warranted.

Sleep/Wake patterns of individuals with advanced cancer measured by ambulatory polysomnography.

PURPOSE: Sleep/wake disturbances are prevalent in patients with advanced cancer, but 24-hour polysomnography (PSG) examinations of these patterns have not been undertaken. The purpose of this study was to describe these sleep/wake patterns using continuous PSG and to explore relationships with selected demographic and clinical variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample included patients with advanced cancer (solid tumors); those with neurologic disorders or psychosis, substance abuse, or brain metastasis were excluded. The final sample included 114 participants with a mean age of 51.1 years (+/- 9.1 years). Participants underwent continuous, ambulatory PSG for 42 hours in their home environments. Standard PSG measures were calculated. Analysis included data from 2 nights and the intervening day. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize sleep/wake parameters of the average of the 2 nights and the intervening day. Nonparametric analyses were used to detect differences and relationships among the variables. RESULTS: Compared with normative data, participants had reduced quantity and quality of nocturnal sleep and episodes of sleep scattered throughout the day. Increased daytime sleep was negatively associated with several key parameters of nocturnal sleep quantity and quality. Women, whites, and those who were married/partnered and had more education had better nocturnal sleep. Cancer type and selected medications may be risk factors for disturbed sleep and waking. CONCLUSION: Participants experienced severe difficulty with "state maintenance", or the ability to maintain both the sleep and waking states. Research designed to identify the etiology of these problems is needed to develop effective interventions.