Association between sleep disorders and osteoarthritis: A case–control study of 351,932 adults in the UK

Abstract

Summary This study aimed to analyse the association between sleep disorders and osteoarthritis in adults in the UK. This case–control study included patients aged ≥ 18 years who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis for the first time in one of 256 general practices in the UK between 1997 and 2016 (index date). Patients without osteoarthritis were matched (1:1) to those with osteoarthritis by sex, age, index year, general practice, observation time prior to index date (in years), obesity, injuries, and other types of arthritis. For patients without osteoarthritis, the index date was a randomly selected visit date between 1997 and 2016. The presence of sleep disorders prior to index date was assessed in the two groups. Finally, conditional logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between sleep disorders and osteoarthritis. This case–control study included 351,932 adults (61.5% women; mean [SD] age 64.9 [14.2] years). Overall, there was a significant association between sleep disorders and osteoarthritis (odds ratio = 1.25, 95% confidence interval = 1.22–1.29). This finding was corroborated in all sex and age subgroups, except in patients aged > 80 years. In terms of the type of sleep disorder, non‐organic sleep disorders, hypersomnia and sleep apnea were associated to a significant extent with higher odds of developing osteoarthritis. Finally, the relationship between sleep disorders and osteoarthritis was significant in all osteoarthritis subgroups, except in that of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Based on these results, it can be concluded that sleep disorders may play a role in the development of osteoarthritis.

Association between Sleep Disorders and Sleep Quality in Patients with Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

“…In the same way, two fair quality studies found that sleep quality was impaired in patients with TMJ-OA and assessed it with the validated Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index [ 33 , 35 ]. Furthermore, Tran Duy et al found that patients with poor sleep quality are more likely to develop TMJ-OA, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.64 [ 33 ] which is consistent with a recently published cohort study that found that patients with sleep disorders tend to develop OA (OR = 1.25) [ 36 ].…”

“…Looking at other regions of the body, a UK cohort of over 175.000 patients with OA compared to healthy controls revealed that 6.6% of patients had sleep disorders [ 36 ]. Furthermore, they found that there was a positive and significant association between sleep disorders and OA (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.22–1.29).…”

Exploration beyond osteoarthritis: the association and mechanism of its related comorbidities

“…Concomitantly, OA is linked to heightened likelihood of suicidal ideation underscoring its mental health implications ( 146 ). Moreover, individuals with OA also commonly report comorbid insomnia ( 147 ), as the pain and discomfort linked to the condition impede restful sleep, engendering fatigue and diminished quality of life ( 148 ). Moreover, OA patients were nearly three times more prone to frequent memory loss attributed to sleep and mood disturbances ( 149 ).…”

Sleep Disturbances and Disorders in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis and Total Knee Arthroplasty

“…OSA is repetitive airway collapse during sleep that causes hypoxemia, arousal from sleep, and daytime sleepiness. The prevalence of OSA in patients undergoing TKA has been reported to be as much as 70% [107][108][109][110] . Older patients, males, and obese patients are at higher risk, with up to 51% of patients presenting for TKA with undiagnosed OSA 106,[111][112][113][114] .…”