title: Sleep disorders in adult sickle cell patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While sleep apnea has been studied in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), little is known about sleep disorders in adult sickle cell patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate sleep disordered breathing and its polysomnographic characteristics in adult patients with sickle cell disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis cohort included 32 consecutive adult SCD patients who underwent a comprehensive sleep evaluation and overnight polysomnography in an accredited sleep center after reporting symptoms suggesting disordered sleep or an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score ≥ 10. Epworth score, sleep parameters, comorbid conditions, and narcotic use were reviewed and compared in patients with and without sleep disordered breathing. SCD complication rates in the two groups also were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In adult SCD patients who underwent overnight polysomnography, we report a high prevalence (44%) of sleep disordered breathing. Disease severity was mild to moderate (mean apnea-hypopnea index = 17/h (95% CI: 10-24/h). Concomitant sleep disorders, including insomnia complaints (57%) and delayed sleep-phase syndrome (57%), also were common in this population. In this limited cohort, we did not find increased SCD complications associated with sleep disordered breathing in adult patients with sickle cell disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high burden of sleep disordered breathing and other sleep-related complaints were identified in the adult sickle cell population. Our results provide important information on this unique population.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: East Carolina Heart Institute, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, NC.|Center for Health Disparities, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
authors.forename: Jimmy T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Efird
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knupp
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
authors.forename: Renuka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kadali
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
authors.forename: Darla
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liles
authors.affiliation: East Carolina Heart Institute, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, NC.|Center for Health Disparities, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiue
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boettger
authors.affiliation: Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Stuart F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Quan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D015995:Prevalence; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: anemia; obstructive; sickle cell; sleep; sleep apnea