High Prevalence of Sleep Disorders Among Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis

Sleep disorders are highly prevalent among individuals with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to study results published in Advances in Rheumatology.

Investigators examined the prevalence of sleep disorders among patients with AS.

A comprehensive meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted, including cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies with adequate data on the presence of sleep disorders among patients with AS. Case reports and series, interventional and review studies, and those not published in English were excluded from the analysis.

Of the 1777 studies identified during the systematic literature review, only 18 (n=5840 patients) were included in the final meta-analysis. 

Significant heterogeneity with high variability between studies was present (I², 96.05).

Among patients with AS, sleep disorders demonstrated a pooled prevalence of 53% (95% CI, 44.9-61.0).

The 2 highest reported prevalence rates among the included studies (n=20 for both studies) were 90% and 80%. Both studies were cross-sectional.

The lowest prevalence was 19.2% (n=495 patients), as reported by a single retrospective cross-sectional study. 

Meta-regression analysis revealed that the occurrence of sleep disorders declined with increasing study sample size (P <.05).

This analysis was limited by inclusion of studies that relied on self-reported questionnaires to assess sleep disorders, which may have led to a subjective evaluation of sleep quality.

The study authors concluded, “The findings of the present study indicate the high prevalence of sleep disorders among AS patients, which means that policymakers and service providers in the field of healthcare, including nurses, should pay more attention to this population of patients and devise necessary inter­ventions for timely diagnosis and treatment.”

This article originally appeared on Rheumatology Advisor