association of psychiatric disorders and sleep apnea in a.pdfVIP

SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING Association of Psychiatric Disorders and Sleep Apnea in a Large Cohort 1,3 2,3 1 4 1-3 Amir Sharafkhaneh, MD ; Nilgun Giray, MD ; Peter Richardson, PhD ; Terry Young, PhD ; Max Hirshkowitz, PhD 1 2 Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Meninger Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, 3 4 TX; Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI Study Objectives: We conducted the present study to determine whether stress disorder (11.9%), psychosis (5.1), and bipolar disorders (3.3%). psychiatric disorders are commonly associated with sleep apnea in Veter- Compared with patients not diagnosed with sleep apnea, a significantly ans Health Administration beneficiaries. greater prevalence (P .0001) was found for mood disorders, anxiety, Method: The Veterans Health Administration maintains several central- posttraumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and dementia in patients with ized databases containing healthcare data for more than 4 million veter- sleep apnea. ans. We reviewed data from 1998 to 2001 and identified patient records Conclusions: Sleep apnea is associated with a higher prevalence of having International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Edition-Clinical Mod- psychiatric comorbid conditions in Veterans Health Administration benefi- ification codes indicating sleep apnea and various psychiatric conditions. ciaries. This association suggests that patients w