A Health Communication Assessment of Web-based Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patient Education Materials.

Background: The current care pathway for screening, diagnosis, and treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is often fragmented and heavily reliant on patient action, leading to delays and gaps in care, which disproportionately affect race and ethnic minorities. There is a need for well-designed, accessible patient education materials (PEMs) to improve OSA awareness and empower those at risk for the condition with the necessary knowledge and skills to adhere to treatment. Objective: Our study aimed to evaluate the understandability, accessibility, actionability, and readability of web-based PEMs designed for patients with OSA and their families and caregivers. Methods: We engaged patients with OSA, clinicians, and patient advocates (n = 11) to identify a list of web-based OSA PEMs from the media, medical centers, medical device companies, and health professional and patient advocacy organizations. Two trained coders scored the PEMs using validated health communication assessments, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clear Communication Index (CCI; on a scale from 0 to 100%); the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), which features subscales for understandability and actionability, each measured from 0 to 100%; and readability measures, including the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook and Flesch-Kincaid, which correspond to grade levels. Results: We identified 20 web-based PEMs, which included websites (n = 12, 60%), online flyers (n = 4, 20%), videos (n = 3, 15%), and one discussion board (n = 1, 5%). Scores on the CCI ranged from 21.4 to 85.7%. No PEMs met the CCI cutoff (90%). Scores on the PEMAT scales for understandability ranged from 37.5 to 100%. Scores on the PEMAT scales for actionability ranged from 0 to 100%. Fifteen percent of the PEMs met the PEMAT cutoff for understandability and actionability. Readability of the PEMs ranged from a 5th to a 15th-grade reading level, as scored by the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook and Flesch-Kincaid. Only one PEM (5%) met the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Conclusion: Our study found that the majority of commonly used web-based PEMs for OSA did not meet recommended standards for clear communication and health literacy demands. OSA practitioners and future research should consider health communication best practices to design PEMs that reduce the gap between materials and average patient health literacy.

Differences in Symptoms and Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea between Black and White Patients.

Rationale: Prior work suggests that Black patients have more severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) upon clinical presentation. However, the extent to which this may reflect differences in symptoms or other standard measures of OSA risk is unclear. Objectives: We assessed for racial disparities in OSA characteristics at time of initial clinical diagnosis. Methods: Data from 890 newly diagnosed patients with OSA at an urban academic sleep center were included in this analysis. All patients completed a standardized questionnaire on demographics and sleep-related symptoms and underwent laboratory polysomnography. Symptom severity at the time of evaluation was compared across race and sex. Results: Black men were underrepresented in the sleep lab, making up only 15.8% of the cohort and 31.3% of Black participants (P < 0.001). Despite this, Black men had the most severe OSA with a mean apnea hypopnea index of 52.4 ± 39.4 events/hour, compared with 39.0 ± 28.9 in White men, 33.4 ± 32.3 in Black women, and 26.2 ± 23.8 in White women (P < 0.001 for test of homogeneity). Black men also had the greatest burden of OSA symptoms with the highest mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (12.2 ± 5.9 versus 9.4 ± 5.2 in White men, 11.2 ± 5.9, in Black women, and 9.8 ± 5.6 in White women; P < 0.001). Compared with White men, Black men were 1.61 (95% CI [1.04-2.51]) times more likely to have witnessed apneas and 1.56 (95% CI [1.00-2.46]) times more likely to have drowsy driving at the time of OSA diagnosis. Conclusions: At the time of clinical diagnosis, Black men have greater disease severity, suggesting delay in diagnosis. Further, the greater burden of classic OSA symptoms suggests the delayed diagnosis of OSA in Black men is not due to atypical presentation. Further research is needed to identify why screening methods for OSA are not equitably implemented in the care of Black men.

ATS Core Curriculum 2021. Adult Sleep Medicine: Sleep Apnea.

The American Thoracic Society Sleep Core Curriculum updates clinicians on important sleep topics, presented during the annual meeting, and appearing in summary here. This year's sleep core theme is sleep-disordered breathing and its management. Topics range from pathophysiological mechanisms for the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and metabolic syndrome, surgical modalities of OSA treatment, comorbid insomnia and OSA, central sleep apnea, and sleep practices during a pandemic. OSA has been associated with metabolic syndrome, independent of the role of obesity, and the pathophysiology suggests a role for sleep fragmentation and intermittent hypoxia in observed metabolic outcomes. In specific patient populations, surgical treatment modalities for OSA have demonstrated large reductions in objective disease severity compared with no treatment and may facilitate adherence to positive airway pressure treatment. Patient-centered approaches to comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea include evaluating for both OSA and insomnia simultaneously and using shared-decision making to determine the order and timing of positive airway pressure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. The pathophysiology of central sleep apnea is complex and may be due to the loss of drive to breathe or instability in the regulatory pathways that control ventilation. Pandemic-era sleep practices have evolved rapidly to balance safety and sustainability of care for patients with sleep-disordered breathing.

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.

The effectiveness of an obstructive sleep apnea screening and treatment program in patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: As recommended by current guidelines, we tested the acceptability and impact of screening patients with type 2 diabetes for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: In a large urban primary care practice, we instituted a telephone-based OSA screening program using a validated tool (STOP-BANG) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients identified as high risk were referred for diagnostic sleep testing, and those diagnosed with OSA were offered positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. We evaluated the impact of PAP on sleep-related symptoms, glycemic control, and hospitalization rates. RESULTS: We identified 738 of 818 (90.1%) patients with type 2 diabetes as high risk for OSA. Only 29.2% (n = 213) of high risk patients were willing to undergo diagnostic sleep testing. The prevalence of OSA was 90.6% in this group, but only 66.0% of those with OSA initiated PAP. Patients with higher burden of sleep symptoms were more likely to pursue testing and initiate therapy. PAP use was associated with reduced sleep-related symptoms (mean Epworth sleepiness scale score declined from 8.8 to 7.3, p < .001), but did not impact hemoglobin A1c levels at one year (7.7-7.9%, p = .12). Changes in glycemic control and hospitalization rates did not differ from comparator groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high prevalence of OSA, willingness to pursue diagnostic testing and treatment was low in an unselected type 2 diabetes population. Furthermore, glycemic control did not improve. Future screening programs should focus on patients with substantial sleep related symptoms as this group is most likely to derive benefit from treatment.

Neighborhood Factors as Predictors of Poor Sleep in the Sueño Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Study Objectives: To evaluate whether an adverse neighborhood environment has higher prevalence of poor sleep in a US Hispanic/Latino population. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed in 2156 US Hispanic/Latino participants aged 18-64 years from the Sueño ancillary study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Participants completed surveys of neighborhood environment including perceived safety, violence and noise, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and 7 days of wrist actigraphy. Results: In age and sex-adjusted analyses, short sleep, low sleep efficiency, and late sleep midpoint were all more prevalent among those living in an unsafe neighborhood. After adjustment for background, site, nativity, income, employment, depressive symptoms, and sleep apnea, the absolute risk of sleeping <6 hours was 7.7 (95% CI [0.9, 14.6]) percentage points greater in those living in an unsafe compared to a safe neighborhood. There were no differences in the prevalence of insomnia by level of safety or violence. Insomnia was more prevalent among those living in a noisy neighborhood. In adjusted analysis, the absolute risk of insomnia was 4.4 (95% CI [0.4, 8.4]) percentage points greater in those living in noisy compared to non-noisy neighborhoods. Conclusion: Using validated measures of sleep duration and insomnia, we have demonstrated the existence of a higher prevalence of short sleep and insomnia by adverse neighborhood factors. An adverse neighborhood environment is an established risk factor for a variety of poor health outcomes. Our findings suggest negative effects on sleep may represent one pathway by which neighborhood environment influences health.

Actigraphic Sleep Patterns of U.S. Hispanics: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Study objective: To assess the extent to which objective sleep patterns vary among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. Methods: We assessed objective sleep patterns in 2087 participants of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos from 6 Hispanic/Latino subgroups aged 18-64 years who underwent 7 days of wrist actigraphy. Results: The age- and sex-standardized mean (SE) sleep duration was 6.82 (0.05), 6.72 (0.07), 6.61 (0.07), 6.59 (0.06), 6.57 (0.10), and 6.44 (0.09) hr among individuals of Mexican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American, Puerto Rican, and South American heritage, respectively. Sleep maintenance efficiency ranged from 89.2 (0.2)% in Mexicans to 86.5 (0.4)% in Puerto Ricans, while the sleep fragmentation index ranged from 19.7 (0.3)% in Mexicans to 24.2 (0.7)% in Puerto Ricans. In multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, season, socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits, and comorbidities, these differences persisted. Conclusions: There are important differences in actigraphically measured sleep across U.S. Hispanic/Latino heritages. Individuals of Mexican heritage have longer and more consolidated sleep, while those of Puerto Rican heritage have shorter and more fragmented sleep. These differences may have clinically important effects on health outcomes.

Disparities and genetic risk factors in obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly prevalent condition. A growing body of literature supports substantial racial disparities in the prevalence, risk factors, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease. Craniofacial structure among Asians appears to confer an elevated risk of OSA despite lower rates of obesity. Among African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics, OSA prevalence is increased, likely due in part to obesity. The burden of symptoms, particularly excessive daytime sleepiness, is higher among African Americans, although Hispanics more often report snoring. Limited data suggest that African Americans may be more susceptible to hypertension in the setting of OSA. While differences in genetic risk factors may explain disparities in OSA burden, no definitive genetic differences have yet been identified. In addition to disparities in OSA development, disparities in OSA diagnosis and treatment have also been identified. Increased severity of disease at diagnosis among African Americans suggests a delay in diagnosis. Treatment outcomes are also suboptimal among African Americans. In children, tonsillectomy is less likely to cure OSA and more commonly associated with complications in this group. Among adults, adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is substantially lower in African Americans. The reasons for these disparities, particularly in outcomes, are not well understood and should be a research priority.

Joint associations of insomnia and sleep duration with prevalent diabetes: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

BACKGROUND: Inadequate sleep quantity and quality are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. This relationship is not well-examined in U.S. Hispanics/Latinos, and prior analyses may be confounded by sleep apnea. This cross-sectional study examined joint associations of sleep duration and insomnia with diabetes among diverse U.S. Hispanic/Latinos. METHODS: Baseline data on sleep quantity and quality were obtained from 15,227 participants (mean age 41; range 18-74 years) from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Complex survey multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between prevalent diabetes and six phenotypes defined by cross-classifying sleep duration (short ≤6 h, average >6-9 h, long >9 h) and insomnia, adjusting for sex, age, site and Hispanic/Latino background interaction, education, physical activity, diet quality, and sleep apnea. RESULTS: In the weighted population, 14% had diabetes, 28% had insomnia, 9% were short sleepers, and 19% were long sleepers. Compared with those with average sleep and no insomnia, those with short sleep and insomnia were more likely to have diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02, 2.11). Average sleepers with insomnia (1.28; 95% CI 1.02, 1.61) and long sleepers without insomnia (1.33; 95% CI 1.07, 1.65) also had elevated odds of diabetes. Further adjustment for body mass index attenuated associations, except with long sleep without insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Both decreased quantity and quality of sleep are associated with diabetes in Hispanic/Latinos, with the greatest odds among those with short sleep duration and insomnia. The association is largely explained by obesity.

Social and Health Correlates of Sleep Duration in a US Hispanic Population: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To define the prevalence of poor sleep patterns in the US Hispanic/Latino population, identify sociodemographic and psychosocial predictors of short and long sleep duration, and the association between sleep and cardiometabolic outcomes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING: Community-based study. PARTICIPANTS: Adults age 18-74 y free of sleep disorders (n = 11,860) from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos baseline examination (2008-2011). INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The mean self-reported sleep duration was 8.0 h per night with 18.6% sleeping less than 7 h and 20.1% sleeping more than 9 h in age- and sex-adjusted analyses. Short sleep was most common in individuals of Puerto Rican heritage (25.6%) and the Other Hispanic group (27.4%). Full-time employment, low level of education, and depressive symptoms were independent predictors of short sleep, whereas unemployment, low household income, low level of education, and being born in the mainland US were independent predictors of long sleep. After accounting for sociodemographic differences, short sleep remained significantly associated with obesity with an odds ratio of 1.29 [95% confidence interval 1.12-1.49] but not with diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease. In contrast, long sleep was not associated with any of these conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep duration is highly variable among US Hispanic/Latinos, varying by Hispanic/Latino heritage as well as socioeconomic status. These differences may have health consequences given associations between sleep duration and cardiometabolic disease, particularly obesity.

Interest in bariatric surgery among obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: Standard obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) therapies are poorly tolerated. Bariatric surgery is a potential alternative but the level of interest in this intervention among OSA patients is unknown. OBJECTIVES: Determine the proportion of OSA patients who would be interested in bariatric surgery. SETTING: Sleep clinics, United States. METHODS: Consecutive adult patients with untreated severe OSA and a body mass index of 35-45 kg/m(2) were approached. Patients at low perioperative risk and no urgent indication for OSA treatment were invited to a separate informational visit about bariatric surgery as primary treatment for OSA. RESULTS: Of 767 eligible patients, 230 (30.0%) were not at low perioperative risk, 49 (6.4%) had drowsy driving, and 16 (2.1%) had no insurance coverage for bariatric surgery. Of the remaining 482 patients, over one third (35.5%) were interested in bariatric surgery. Surgical interest was 47.2% in women versus 27.6% in men (P<0.01) and 67.3% in diabetics versus 31.0% in nondiabetics (P<0.01). In multivariable adjusted models, female gender (odds ratio 1.89, 95% CI [1.10-3.25]) and diabetes (odds ratio 3.97, 95% CI [1.97-8.01]) remained highly predictive of bariatric surgery interest. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly two thirds of obese patients with severe OSA are good candidates for bariatric surgery. Among candidates, over one third are interested in this treatment. Interest rates are highest among women and diabetics, indicating that metabolic improvements continue to be a major driver of surgery even in patients with severe OSA. Given patient interest, the role of bariatric surgery should be routinely discussed with obese OSA patients.

Reproducibility of a Standardized Actigraphy Scoring Algorithm for Sleep in a US Hispanic/Latino Population.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: While actigraphy is considered objective, the process of setting rest intervals to calculate sleep variables is subjective. We sought to evaluate the reproducibility of actigraphy-derived measures of sleep using a standardized algorithm for setting rest intervals. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Community-based. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 50 adults aged 18-64 years free of severe sleep apnea participating in the Sueño sleep ancillary study to the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Participants underwent 7 days of continuous wrist actigraphy and completed daily sleep diaries. Studies were scored twice by each of two scorers. Rest intervals were set using a standardized hierarchical approach based on event marker, diary, light, and activity data. Sleep/wake status was then determined for each 30-sec epoch using a validated algorithm, and this was used to generate 11 variables: mean nightly sleep duration, nap duration, 24-h sleep duration, sleep latency, sleep maintenance efficiency, sleep fragmentation index, sleep onset time, sleep offset time, sleep midpoint time, standard deviation of sleep duration, and standard deviation of sleep midpoint. Intra-scorer intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were high, ranging from 0.911 to 0.995 across all 11 variables. Similarly, inter-scorer ICCs were high, also ranging from 0.911 to 0.995, and mean inter-scorer differences were small. Bland-Altman plots did not reveal any systematic disagreement in scoring. CONCLUSIONS: With use of a standardized algorithm to set rest intervals, scoring of actigraphy for the purpose of generating a wide array of sleep variables is highly reproducible.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in lung transplantation: a review.

There has been an increase in lung transplantation in the USA. Lung allocation is guided by the lung allocation score (LAS), which takes into account one measure of exercise capacity, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). There is a paucity of data regarding the role and value of cardiopulmonary stress test (CPET) in the evaluation of lung transplant recipients while on the transplant waiting list and after lung transplantation. While clearly there is a need for further prospective investigation, the available literature strongly suggests a potential role for CPET in the setting of lung transplant.