Sleep and cognition in older adults with cardiovascular disease

Sleep problems are common in the normal population and likely to be especially prevalent in persons with cardiovascular disease.

We examined the prevalence of sleep difficulties and their impact on cognitive function in 77 persons (mean age, 62.8 [SD, 12.5] years; 24% female) presenting for perfusion stress scan at an outpatient cardiology center.

Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Modified Mini-Mental State Examination as part of a larger project.

Analyses showed that approximately 94% of participants met the criteria for "poor" sleep (ie, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score ≥5). Poorer reported sleep was associated with reduced cognitive function as measured by the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination after adjusting for age, depression, and cardiovascular fitness (ie, estimated metabolic equivalents; R² change = 0.08, F = 7.17; P <.001).

These findings indicate that sleep problems are common in cardiovascular disease and extend previous research by demonstrating they negatively impact cognitive function. Further work is needed to identify other consequences of poor sleep in this population and optimal treatment.