The Combination of Sleep Disorders and Depression Significantly Increases Cancer Risk: A Nationwide Large-Scale Population-Based Study

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 15; p. 9266
• Main Authors: Hsu, Fang-Chin, Hsu, Chih-Hsiung, Chung, Chi-Hsiang, Pu, Ta-Wei, Chang, Pi-Kai, Lin, Tzu-Chiao, Jao, Shu-Wen, Chen, Chao-Yang, Chien, Wu-Chien, Hu, Je-Ming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.07.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Age groups; Cancer; Cardiovascular disease; Chronic illnesses; Codes; Coexistence; Cohort analysis; Comorbidity; Datasets; Dementia; Depression - epidemiology; Diabetes; Health risks; Humans; Incidence; Insurance premiums; Mental depression; Mental disorders; National health insurance; Neoplasms - complications; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Patients; Population; Population studies; Population-based studies; Proportional Hazards Models; Psychiatrists; Retrospective Studies; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Sleep disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders - complications; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Stroke; Taiwan - epidemiology; Urbanization; Taiwan; sleep disorder; cancer; depression
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159266

Introduction: Sleep disorders, depression, and cancer have become increasingly prevalent worldwide. However, it is unknown whether coexistence of sleep disorders and depression influences the risk of cancer development. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide population-based study to examine this association among patients in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: A total of 105,071 individuals diagnosed with cancer and 420,284 age- and sex-matched patients without a diagnosis of cancer between 2000 and 2015 were identified from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. The underlying chronic diseases of patients that may developed cancer were gathered and studied as the predictor. A multivariate Cox proportional odds model was used to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate the interaction effect between sleep disorders and depression on the risk of cancer. Results: After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and other covariates, the cancer group was associated with increased exposure to sleep disorders than the non-cancer group (aOR = 1.440, 95% CI = 1.392−1.489, p < 0.001). In addition, patients with both sleep disorders and depression were at an even higher risk for cancer than the general population (aOR = 6.857, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This retrospective cohort study shows that patients with both sleep disorders and depression are at a higher risk of cancer. Clinically, a meticulous cancer risk evaluation is recommended for patients with both sleep disorders and depression.