Sleep-disordered Breathing and Self-reported General Health Status in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study

Objective: To determine the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and self-reported general health status. breathing status assessed by overnight in-laboratory polysomnography.

Setting: General Community.

Subjects: Employed men (n=421) and women (n=316), ages 30-60 years, enrolled in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study.

Interventions: None.

Outcome Measure: Self-reported general health profile and life satisfaction measured by the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 and obtained by interview.

Results: Sleep-disordered breathing was associated with lower general health status before and after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol usage, and a history of cardiovascular conditions. Even mild sleep-disordered breathing (apnea-hypopnea index = 5) was associated with decrements in the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 Survey health constructs comparable to the magnitude of decrements linked to other chronic conditions such as arthritis, angina, hypertension, diabetes, and back problems.

Conclusions: Sleep-disordered breathing is independently related to lower general health status, and this relationship is of clinical significance. Given the growing emphasis of the importance of patients' perceptions of health, these findings are relevant to estimating the overall impact of sleep-disordered breathing.