Association between lung function and sleep disorder symptoms in a community-based multi-site case-finding study.

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Sleep Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Obstructive airway diseases are frequently associated with sleep disturbances.
• Early identification of undiagnosed lung conditions is crucial for timely intervention.
• The relationship between objective lung function and subjective sleep quality requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between lung function parameters and sleep disorder symptoms.
• To explore the link between undiagnosed obstructive airway diseases (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and asthma) and sleep disturbances.
• To examine the relationship between respiratory symptoms and sleep symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using data from March 2017 to August 2021.
• Inclusion of participants with respiratory symptoms but no diagnosed lung disease who completed spirometry and the Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire.
• Multivariate regression models to assess associations between spirometry measures, respiratory symptoms (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, COPD Assessment Test), and sleep symptoms (Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire).

Main Results:

• No significant associations were found between spirometry measures (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC) and sleep symptoms.
• Participants with undiagnosed asthma were more likely to report insomnia (OR 2.58, p=0.02).
• Respiratory symptoms were significantly associated with sleep symptoms, with higher scores on the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire and COPD Assessment Test observed in those reporting more sleep symptoms.

Conclusions:

• An association exists between undiagnosed asthma and insomnia.
• Respiratory symptoms are linked to sleep disorder symptoms.
• Lung function parameters alone may not fully capture the relationship between obstructive airway disease and sleep disturbances.