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Chronic breathlessness and sleep problems : A population-based survey

Currow, David C. ; Chang, Sungwon ; Ferreira, Diana ; Eckert, Danny J. ; Gonzalez-Chica, David ; Stocks, Nigel and Ekström, Magnus Per LU orcid (2021) In BMJ Open 11(8).
Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to explore the relationship (presence and severity) between chronic breathlessness and sleep problems, independently of diagnoses and health service contact by surveying a large, representative sample of the general population. Setting Analysis of the 2017 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, an annual, cross-sectional, face-to-face, multistage, clustered area systematic sampling survey carried out in Spring 2017. Chronic breathlessness was self-reported using the ordinal modified Medical Research Council (mMRC; scores 0 (none) to 4 (housebound)) where breathlessness has been present for more than 3 of the previous 6 months. a € Sleep problems - ever' and a € sleep problem - current' were assessed... (More)

Objectives This study aimed to explore the relationship (presence and severity) between chronic breathlessness and sleep problems, independently of diagnoses and health service contact by surveying a large, representative sample of the general population. Setting Analysis of the 2017 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, an annual, cross-sectional, face-to-face, multistage, clustered area systematic sampling survey carried out in Spring 2017. Chronic breathlessness was self-reported using the ordinal modified Medical Research Council (mMRC; scores 0 (none) to 4 (housebound)) where breathlessness has been present for more than 3 of the previous 6 months. a € Sleep problems - ever' and a € sleep problem - current' were assessed dichotomously. Regression models were adjusted for age; sex and body mass index (BMI). Results 2900 responses were available (mean age 48.2 years (SD=18.6); 51% were female; mean BMI 27. 1 (SD=5.9)). Prevalence was: 2.7% (n=78) sleep problems - past; 6.8% (n=198) sleep problems - current and breathlessness (mMRC 1-4) was 8.8% (n=254). Respondents with sleep problemspast were more likely to be breathless, older with a higher BMI and sleep problems - present also included a higher likelihood of being female. After adjusting for age, sex and BMI, respondents with chronic breathlessness had 1.9 (95% CI=1.0 to 3.5) times the odds of sleep problems - past and sleep problems - current (adjusted OR=2.3; 95% CI=1.6 to 3.3). Conclusions There is a strong association between the two prevalent conditions. Future work will seek to understand if there is a causal relationship using validated sleep assessment tools and whether better managing one condition improves the other.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
clinical audit, education & training (see medical education & training), sleep medicine
in
BMJ Open
volume
11
issue
8
article number
e046425
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:34385238
  • scopus:85113270342
ISSN
2044-6055
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046425
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d0b0fa3f-50ad-4e94-9cbf-55147e08dd51
date added to LUP
2021-09-07 13:42:14
date last changed
2024-06-15 15:54:14
@article{d0b0fa3f-50ad-4e94-9cbf-55147e08dd51,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives This study aimed to explore the relationship (presence and severity) between chronic breathlessness and sleep problems, independently of diagnoses and health service contact by surveying a large, representative sample of the general population. Setting Analysis of the 2017 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, an annual, cross-sectional, face-to-face, multistage, clustered area systematic sampling survey carried out in Spring 2017. Chronic breathlessness was self-reported using the ordinal modified Medical Research Council (mMRC; scores 0 (none) to 4 (housebound)) where breathlessness has been present for more than 3 of the previous 6 months. a € Sleep problems - ever' and a € sleep problem - current' were assessed dichotomously. Regression models were adjusted for age; sex and body mass index (BMI). Results 2900 responses were available (mean age 48.2 years (SD=18.6); 51% were female; mean BMI 27. 1 (SD=5.9)). Prevalence was: 2.7% (n=78) sleep problems - past; 6.8% (n=198) sleep problems - current and breathlessness (mMRC 1-4) was 8.8% (n=254). Respondents with sleep problemspast were more likely to be breathless, older with a higher BMI and sleep problems - present also included a higher likelihood of being female. After adjusting for age, sex and BMI, respondents with chronic breathlessness had 1.9 (95% CI=1.0 to 3.5) times the odds of sleep problems - past and sleep problems - current (adjusted OR=2.3; 95% CI=1.6 to 3.3). Conclusions There is a strong association between the two prevalent conditions. Future work will seek to understand if there is a causal relationship using validated sleep assessment tools and whether better managing one condition improves the other. </p>}},
  author       = {{Currow, David C. and Chang, Sungwon and Ferreira, Diana and Eckert, Danny J. and Gonzalez-Chica, David and Stocks, Nigel and Ekström, Magnus Per}},
  issn         = {{2044-6055}},
  keywords     = {{clinical audit; education & training (see medical education & training); sleep medicine}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{BMJ Open}},
  title        = {{Chronic breathlessness and sleep problems : A population-based survey}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046425}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046425}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}