Patients with COPD with poor sleep quality are at greater risk of acute exacerbations, according to a recent study published in the journal Sleep.¹

In the present study, data from 1647 current and former smokers with confirmed COPD from the multicenter Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) was analyzed. The participants included both current and former smokers. The study aimed to ascertain if sleep quality affected the risk of COPD exacerbations over a follow-up period of 3 years. The effect of socio-environmental factors was also assessed using Area Deprivation Index (a composite measure of neighborhood quality) and the Adversity-Opportunity Index (a composite measure of individual-level historic and current socioeconomic indicators).

Results showed that patients with poor sleep quality as evident by high scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were at higher risk of exacerbations of COPD and hospitalizations compared to those who reported good sleep quality. After adjusting for multiple variables such as demographics, symptom burden, airflow obstruction, medications, comorbid conditions, a significant association  was found between PSQI score and total and mean exacerbations, with incidence rate ratio was 1.08. For every point increase in the score, the risk of exacerbation rose by 5% and the risk of hospitalization increased by 7%.

Good sleep is essential for good health. This study has demonstrated a high risk of acute exacerbations among COPD patients who self-report poor sleep quality suggesting sleep quality as an important predictor of disease exacerbations. Hence, eliciting a targeted sleep history is important in the workup of all patients with COPD. Addressing sleep quality may help in enhancing disease control.

Reference

1. Baugh A, et al. Risk of COPD exacerbation is increased by poor sleep quality and modified by social adversity. Sleep. 2022 Aug 11;45(8):zsac107. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsac107.