Association of diabetic vascular complications with poor sleep complaints

Literatures reported that poor sleep complaints were associated with a great deal of health outcomes. However, there are few studies on the association of poor sleep complaints with diabetic vascular complications.

Aiming on the association, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1220 diabetic patients in this study. Poor sleep complaints were composed of difficulty falling asleep, early final awakening, short sleep and long sleep. The diabetic vascular complications involved in the study were diagnosed according to the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes (ADA 2016).

Our findings indicated that short sleep remained independently associated with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) (OR > 1, P < 0.05) after the adjustments; long sleep independently associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) (OR > 1, P < 0.05); early final awakening and short sleep independently associated with cardiovascular disease (OR > 1, P < 0.05); short sleep independently associated with peripheral arterial disease (OR > 1, P < 0.05); there was no association between poor sleep complaints and neuropathy (P > 0.05).

The study suggests that the poor sleep complaints were distinguishably associated with diabetic vascular complications. Clinicians should take poor sleep complaints into account in diabetes treatment.