Investigating Sleep Disorders among Patients Suffering from Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive and fatal disease. Studies have shown a link between sleep disorders and pulmonary hypertension; however, sleep disorders generally remain undiagnosed. This study aimed to investigate the types of sleep disorders and their prevalence among patients with pulmonary hypertension.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 68 patients with a definitive diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension were examined for the existence of sleep disorders. The STOP-BANG, ISI, ESS, RLS, and parasomnia questionnaires were used to evaluate sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, excessive sleepiness, and movement disorders, such as restless leg syndrome and parasomnia, respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

The average age of the patients was 48.0 ± 14.2 years while 64.7% were women. The most prevalent (45.6%) sleep disorder among the patients was probable obstructive sleep apnea (STOP-BANG positive). Among STOP-BANG positive and negative groups, the ratios of men were 48.4% and 24.3%, respectively (P=0.046). In addition, there was a significant difference between STOP-BANG positive and negative groups regarding the variables of gender, age, having high systemic blood pressure, insomnia index, and daytime sleepiness (P values= 0.020, 0.046, 0.011, 0.023, and 0.011, respectively). The prevalence of parasomnia (P= 0.039) and daytime sleepiness (P=0.072) was significantly higher in people suffering from insomnia. The body mass index was significantly higher in people with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension than in those with thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (P= 0.001). There was a significant association between age and the functional class of the patients (P= 0.003).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea, is relatively high in patients with PAH, and its presence seems to worsen the prognosis of PAH necessitating identifying at-risk people and properly treating them to improve their quality of life.