A recent study revealed that those who suffer from a group of common sleep disorders face a higher risk of premature death compared to those without any of these disorders.
And Flinders University researchers reported that those who suffer from both insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to develop heart problems, and the risk of early death is approximately 50%, compared to those who do not have either of these two conditions, according to a report on the newspaper’s website. Medical Express.
Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are the most common sleep disorders, affecting 10 to 30% of the population, but people can often suffer from both conditions at the same time, according to Dr. Bastian Lechat of the Flinders Institute for Health and Medical Research, Division of Sleep Health. .
Dr Lechat explained: “Previously, little was known about the effect of comorbid insomnia combined with obstructive sleep apnea (COMISA) but what we do know is that for people with both conditions, health outcomes are almost always worse than for those without. any condition or those with only one condition.”
In the new study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, Flinders researchers studied a large data set from the United States of more than 5,000 people to understand the risks of co-morbid insomnia with obstructive sleep apnea.
The researchers followed the participants, who were about 60 years old at the beginning of the study, and 52 percent of them were female, for about 15 years, with 1,210 deaths recorded during that period.
The results indicated that participants with co-morbid insomnia with obstructive sleep apnea were twice as likely to develop high blood pressure and 70% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to participants without insomnia or sleep apnea.
The study also showed that participants with co-morbid insomnia with obstructive sleep apnea had a 47% increased risk of death (from any cause) compared to participants without insomnia or sleep apnea, even when other factors known to increase mortality were taken into account. in consedration.
“This is the first study to assess mortality risk in participants with insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea,” says Dr. Lechat, who led the research.
While more research is needed to investigate what may cause the higher mortality risk for those with insomnia combined with obstructive sleep apnea, the researchers say more research is also needed to make sure the treatments are working effectively in preventing harm.
“Specific treatments may be needed for people with co-occurring disorders, so it is important that we examine the efficacy of treatments for insomnia and sleep apnea in this specific population,” Dr. Lechat explains.
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