Sex differences in reported and objectively measured sleep in COPD

• Published in: International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 151 - 160
• Main Authors: Theorell-Haglöw, Jenny, Ólafsdóttir, Inga Sif, Benediktsdóttir, Bryndís, Gíslason, Thórarinn, Lindberg, Eva, Janson, Christer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2016; Dove Medical Press Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Aged; Analysis; Anxiety; Blood; Bronchitis; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COPD; Dyspnea; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; gender; Gender differences; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives - therapeutic use; Iceland - epidemiology; Insomnia; Lung diseases, Obstructive; Male; Medical examination; Middle Aged; Original Research; polysomnography; Polysomnography - methods; Prevalence; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - blood; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - diagnosis; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - epidemiology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - physiopathology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - psychology; quality of sleep; Questionnaires; Research Design; Restless legs syndrome; sex; Sex Factors; Sleep; Sleep disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders - diagnosis; Sleep Wake Disorders - drug therapy; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Smoking; Spirometry; Spirometry - methods; Statistics as Topic; Womens health; sleep; quality of sleep; polysomnography; sex; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• ISSN: 1178-2005; 1176-9106; 1178-2005
• DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S94268

The aim was to assess and compare reported sleep disturbances and objectively measured sleep in men and women with COPD compared with controls and also explore sex differences. A total of 96 patients with COPD and 90 age- and sex-matched controls answered a sleep questionnaire, underwent ambulatory polysomnography, a post-bronchodilatory spirometry, and blood sampling. Of the patients with COPD, 51% reported sleep disturbances as compared with 31% in controls (P=0.008). Sleep disturbances were significantly more prevalent in males with COPD compared with controls, whereas there was no significant difference in females. The use of hypnotics was more common among patients with COPD compared with controls, both in men (15% vs 0%, P=0.009) and women (36% vs 16%, P=0.03). The men with COPD had significantly longer recorded sleep latency than the male control group (23 vs 9.3 minutes, P<0.001), while no corresponding difference was found in women. In men with COPD, those with reported sleep disturbances had lower forced vital capacity, higher C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase, and higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis. The COPD was associated with impaired sleep in men while the association was less clear in women. This was also confirmed by recorded longer sleep latency in male subjects with COPD compared with controls.