Central sleep apnea

Shift work and sleep: optimizing health, safety, and performance

Shift work is a fundamental component of the US workforce and an integral part of the lifestyles of a large proportion of the population. More than 22 million Americans work on shifts as part of their work life. Emerging research suggests that shift workers are at higher risk for a range of metabolic disorders and diseases (eg, obesity, cardiovascular disease, peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal problems, abnormal blood glucose levels, and metabolic syndrome). Sleep disorders associated with shift work also pose a serious public health risk, as they can impair an individual's ability to perform effectively and may lead to occupational and traffic accidents.

Central sleep apnea in a geriatric patient treated with aripiprazole

We report a case of central sleep apnea in a geriatric patient that was associated with treatment with aripiprazole for an episode of major depressive disorder with psychotic features. The patient was a 72-year-old man who was started on aripiprazole and developed central sleep apnea that improved significantly when the medication was stopped. A rechallenge with aripiprazole led to a worsening of the central sleep apnea, which again improved off the aripiprazole. We postulate that the central sleep apnea was due to aripiprazole. There have been numerous case reports in the literature of obstructive sleep apnea associated with atypical antipsychotics. To our knowledge, this is the first published case of central sleep apnea. We caution clinicians to be aware that there is potential risk of atypical antipsychotics like aripiprazole inducing or exacerbating central sleep apnea.