The relationship between sleep disturbances and quality of life in elderly patients with hypertension

Purpose: Sleep disorders, such as insomnia with objective short sleep duration, are associated with increased risk of hypertension. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of insomnia and daytime sleepiness on the quality of life (QOL) among elderly hypertensive patients. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study covered 100 patients with hypertension. All participants completed standardized questionnaires, such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF), and clinical data were obtained from patients’ medical records. Results: We showed that more than half of the patients experienced insomnia (AIS score ≥6) and 39% experienced daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness was negatively associated with perceived QOL ( r =-0.478, P <0.001). It was also shown that insomnia might be influenced by older age ( P <0.001), occupational activity ( P =0.011), overweight (body mass index BMI 25–30) ( P =0.042), and longer duration of illness ( P =0.049) among hypertensive patients. Conclusion: Sleep problems have a significant negative impact on the QOL in patients with hypertension, especially in the physical domain of the QOL questionnaire. The occurrence of sleep problems in patients with hypertension is influenced by older age, primary education, overweight, occupational activity, and longer duration of illness. Keywords: daytime sleepiness, hypertension, insomnia, sleep problems, quality of life, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale