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Prevalence of sleep disorders in geriatrics: an exploratory study using sleep questionnaires
Mariana Fernandes1, Matteo Antonucci1, Francesca Capecci1
1Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy.
Objectives:
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of sleep problems in older subjects, considering sex and age differences.
Methods:
Subjects admitted to a geriatrics clinic underwent a medical visit and completed a battery of questionnaires assessing sleep quality, insomnia, sleep apnea risk, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), restless legs syndrome (RLS), chronotype, depression and global cognition.
Results:
Fifty-eight subjects (58.6 % women, mean age 77.36±6.07) were included. The most predominant sleep-related complaint was poor sleep quality (36.2 %), followed by sleep apnea risk (34.5 %), insomnia symptoms (25.9 %), EDS (15.5 %) and RLS (12.1 %). Older women reported more insomnia, poorer sleep quality and depressive symptoms than males. Patients aged ≥ 75 years old had more comorbidities and higher sleep apnea risk compared to those under 75 years old.
Conclusions:
Sleep problems are frequent in older adults, requiring their screening and treatment for possibly improving well-being and reduce the burden of neuropsychiatric and medical comorbidities.
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