title: Sleep-related breathing disorders impair quality of life in haemodialysis recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is well known that the quality of life of haemodialysis recipients is often severely compromised. So far, the influence of sleep-related breathing disorders on the quality of life of patients receiving maintenance dialysis has not been evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quality of life as assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Nottingham Health Profile Part 1 (NHP1) was determined in 33 patients (20 males, 13 females; median age 66 years (95% CI 22-82)) with end-stage renal disease treated with haemodialysis. Additionally, polygraphy with a validated eight-channel ambulatory recording unit was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one patients (63.6%) had a clinically significant sleep-related breathing disorder with a median apnoea/hypopnoea index of 13.3 (6.3-78.1)/h and a median oxygen saturation during sleep of 92.5 (88-97)%. In three out of eight subjective measures of the SF-36 (vitality, social functioning and mental health) and in one out of six subjective measures of the NHP1 (emotional reactions), patients without sleep-related breathing disorders had a higher quality of life than patients with this disorder (P<0.05 each). Furthermore, the severity of the sleep-related breathing disorder as indicated by the apnoea/hypopnoea index significantly correlated with the following quality of life measures: physical functioning, social functioning, role limitation due to physical and emotional problems, general health and vitality (SF-36), and also with pain, sleep, social isolation and emotional reactions (NHP1) (P<0.05 each).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that sleep-related breathing disorders independently influence the quality of life of patients receiving maintenance dialysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. bernd.sanner@ruhr-uni-bochim.de
authors.forename: Bernd M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sanner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tepel
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esser
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klewer
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoehmann-Riese
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zidek
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hellmich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*