Short sleep duration linked to all-cause mortality in apnea patients

For patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), those sleeping less than seven hours have increased risk of all-cause mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in JAMA Network Open.

Yiqi Lin, M.D., from Fujian Medical University in Fuzhou, China, and colleagues conducted a cohort study to examine whether there is an association between sleep duration and all-cause mortality among participants with OSA. Data were included for 2,574 individuals with OSA defined by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥15.

A total of 688 all-cause deaths were observed among the participants. The researchers found that the groups sleeping six to less than seven hours, five to less than six hours, and less than five hours had significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality, independent of AHI, compared with the group sleeping at least seven hours (hazard ratios, 1.53, 1.40, and 1.64, respectively). The finding was mainly consistent in sensitivity analyses performed among participants with available data of positive airway pressure treatment during follow-up.

"Further research would be needed to shed light on its underlying mechanism and possible health benefits of extending sleep length among people with OSA with short sleep duration by sleep education or other sleep intervention," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to Eisai China Inc.