Sleep and cardiac diseases amongst elderly people

• Published in: Journal of Internal Medicine
• Main Author: ASPLUND, R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1994
• Subjects: Northern Sweden; Norrbotten
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2796.1994.tb01121.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2796.1994.tb01121.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2796.1994.tb01121.x

Abstract. Objectives . To investigate the interrelationship between sleep cpmplaints and cardiac symptoms. Design . An epidemiological survey by means of questionnaire. Setting . Västerbotten and Norrbotten in northern Sweden. Subjects . All 10216 members of the Swedish Pensioners' Association (SPF). Main outcome measures . Sleep disturbances and cardiac diseases. Results . Of the men who slept well, 3.0% stated they were troubled by both spasmodic chest pain (‘angina pectoris’) and a sensation of irregular heart beats (‘cardiac arrhythmia’), 9.9% had angina pectoris alone, 7.9% suffered from cardiac arrhythmia, and 79.2% had neither of these disorders. Amongst the men who slept poorly, the corresponding frequencies were 7.0%, 8.7%, 12.3% and 72.0% ( P < 0.001). Amongst the women who slept well these frequencies were 2.3%, 7.0%, 8.2% and 82.5%, and among those who slept poorly 5.9%, 10.2%, 15.0% and 68.9% ( P < 0.0001). Amongst those with reported sleep complaints, there was an increased occurrence of both angina pectoris and cardiac arrhythmia. This increase in cardiac diseases was found in men and women; both in those with trouble falling asleep, those who frequently awoke during the night and those who had difficulty regaining sleep; and also in those with too early final awakening in the morning. Daytime sleepiness was also associated with increased cardiac symptoms. Conclusion . Poor sleep was associated with both an increase in angina pectoris and cardiac arrythmias.