Sleep pattern in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and correlation among gasometric, spirometric, and polysomnographic variables

Evaluation of sleep quality and daytime somnolence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in pulmonary rehabilitation

Background

Dyspnea, fatigue, and decline in sleep quality are symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been shown to ameliorate dyspnea and fatigue. However, only a few studies have investigated the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on the sleep quality of COPD patients. In this study, we analyzed the benefits of a pulmonary rehabilitation program to sleep quality and daytime somnolence in COPD patients.

Methods

This study was a study of 30 moderate-severe COPD patients. All patients were evaluated by a pulmonologist and underwent polysomnography before participating in the study. For this study, we selected only ex-smokers and patients with sleep apnea were referred to the sleep clinic. These participants were prospectively recruited and not selected based on program completion. Before the start of the program, sleep quality and daytime somnolence of the participants were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), respectively. Rehabilitation program consisted of muscular training sessions conducted at the gym 3 times per week for 12 weeks. After rehabilitation program, the patients were reassessed and their sleep quality and daytime somnolence were reevaluated using the PSQI and the ESS, respectively.

Results

Before rehabilitation, PSQI evaluation revealed that 73% of the participants had poor sleep quality, and ESS evaluation showed that 86.7% of the participants experienced daytime somnolence. After pulmonary rehabilitation, the PSQI specifically improved in terms of subjective sleep quality and sleep duration (< 0.001), habitual sleep efficiency (0.001), and sleep latency and sleep alterations (0.002) and there was also improvement in the ESS (< 0.001).

Conclusion

Pulmonary rehabilitation program of gradually increasing intensity has the potential to provide sleep-related benefits to patients with COPD who have poor sleep quality and daytime somnolence.

Trial registration

Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC) RBR62b4z2.

Evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: A cross-sectional study

The relationship between sleep disorders and bronchiectasis has not been well described. We hypothesize that, due to the irreversible dilatation of the bronchi, the presence of secretions, and airflow obstruction, patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis may be predisposed to hypoxemia during sleep, or to symptoms that may lead to arousal. A cross-sectional observational study was performed involving 49 patients with a clinical diagnosis of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). All patients underwent clinical evaluation, spirometry, and polysomnography, and were evaluated for the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The mean age of the participants was 50.3 ± 13.6 years; 51.1% of patients were male and had a mean body mass index of 23.8 ± 3.4 kg/m². The mean total sleep time (TST) was 325.15 ± 64.22 min with a slight reduction in sleep efficiency (84.01 ± 29.2%). Regarding sleep stages, stage 1 sleep and REM sleep were abnormal. OSA was present in 40.82% of the patients. The mean arousal index was 5.6 ± 2.9/h and snoring was observed in 71.43% of the patients. The oxygen desaturation index (ODI) was 14.35 ± 15.36/h, mean minimum oxygen saturation (SpO₂ nadir) was 83.29 ± 7.99%, and mean TST with an SpO₂ less than 90% was 30.21 ± 60.48 min. EDS was exhibited by 53.06% of the patients and 55.1% were at high risk of developing OSA. The patients infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa had higher apnea-hypopnea indices, ODI, and TST with SpO₂ < 90%, and lower values of SpO₂ nadir. Adult patients with clinically stable NCFB, especially those infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, display EDS and a high prevalence of OSA, associated with considerable oxygen desaturation during sleep.

Impaired sleep reduces quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Disturbed sleep is reportedly common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the impact of quality of sleep on health-related quality of life (HRQL) has not been previously investigated in these individuals. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of quality of sleep on HRQL in patients with COPD. In 30 clinically stable patients with moderate to very severe COPD, we evaluated subjective sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and HRQL using the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Additionally, lung function was assessed by spirometry, severity of dyspnea by the Modified Medical Research Council scale, and functional exercise capacity by the Six-Minute Walk Test. Twenty-one (70%) patients showed poor quality of sleep (PSQI > 5). HRQL was significantly correlated with quality of sleep (P = 0.02), post-bronchodilator FEV1 (P = 0.04), and severity of dyspnea (P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that quality of sleep was the best predictor of quality of life in our subjects. Our data suggest that quality of sleep is major determinant of HRQL in COPD. Increased efforts to diagnose and treat sleep problems, including measures to improve factors that adversely affect sleep should receive great attention in the daily management of these patients.