Self-reported Sleep Quality and Bone Outcomes in Older Adults: Findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study

The prevalence and risk factors of sleep disturbances in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Sleep disturbance is one of the most prevalent health issues among community-dwelling older adults. This systematic review aims to assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances among these adults living in the community and identify associated risk factors.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. We screened studies focusing on the prevalence of sleep disturbances in community-dwelling older adults (≥ 60 years). A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate sources of heterogeneity, and funnel plots were used to assess publication bias.

RESULTS

Our systematic review included 41 articles, encompassing a total sample of 71,607 participants from 13 countries. The pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances, measured by PSQI, was found to be 45% (95% CI: 40-50%). Notably, the prevalence of sleep disturbances was significantly higher among individuals aged 70 years and older (48%) compared to those aged 60 years and older (41%). Common risk factors for sleep disturbances included depression, advanced age, females, chronic diseases (hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and poor external support (poor social support and poor family relationships).

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the necessity for comprehensive assessments and management strategies targeting this population with depression, advanced age, females, hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and poor external support while also underscoring the significance of healthcare planners and policymakers in enhancing sleep quality for older adults.

Association between poor sleep quality and locomotive syndrome in middle-aged and older women: A community-based, cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Poor sleep quality, such as nocturnal arousal and sleep inefficiency, is associated with frailty and sarcopenia. Herein, we evaluated the relationship between poor sleep quality and locomotive syndrome (LS), a motor organ dysfunction common among community-dwelling middle-aged and older women.

METHODS

Participants comprised 2246 Japanese middle-aged and older women. LS was classified into stages LS-1, LS-2, and LS-3 (from least to most severe) according to the results of the stand-up test, two-step test, and 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

RESULTS

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were significantly higher in the LS group than that in the non-LS group (P < .001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for potential confounders identified poor sleep quality as an independent factor of LS (odds ratio 1.59 [95% confidence interval 1.30-1.93], P < .001). Similar results were observed in the sensitivity analysis in postmenopausal women. LS and trouble sleeping because of pain showed stepwise association in all LS stages.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor sleep quality was independently associated with LS among community-dwelling middle-aged and older women. As the stage of LS progressed, the proportion of women with poor sleep quality increased significantly.

Sleep characteristics and parameters of bone turnover and strength in the adult population: results from the Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND

Poor sleep quality or sleep deprivation may be related to decreased bone mineral density. We aimed to assess whether associations of sleep characteristics and bone turnover or strength are present in adults from the general population and whether these are independent of common risk factors such as sex, age, and obesity. A total of 1037 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND underwent laboratory-based polysomnography and quantitative ultrasound measurements at the heel. Of these participants, 804 completed standardised questionnaires to assess daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and sleep quality. Serum concentrations of two bone turnover markers, intact amino-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP) and carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) were measured. Cross-sectional associations of polysomnography variables (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time spent wake after sleep onset, oxygen desaturation index, apnea-hypopnea index, and obstructive sleep apnea [OSA]), as well as sleep questionnaire scores with the bone turnover markers and the ultrasound-based stiffness index were assessed in linear regression models. In adjusted models, higher insomnia scores and lower sleep quality scores were related to a higher bone turnover in women but not in men. However, associations between polysomnography variables or questionnaire scores and the stiffness index were absent. Our study provides limited evidence for relationships between sleep characteristics and bone turnover and strength independent of common risk factors for OSA and osteoporosis. Nevertheless, women reporting poor sleep or insomnia in combination with risk factors for osteoporosis might benefit from an evaluation of bone health.

Fall Risk in Elderly with Insomnia in Western Romania-A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives: Falls are frequent among the elderly, imply large social and economic costs, and have serious outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the links between insomnia, comorbidities, multisite pain, physical activity, and fall risk in the elderly. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included persons recruited from nursing homes for the elderly in Timisoara. We separated the participants into two groups by the absence (group I) or presence of fractures (group II) starting with the age of 65 years. Participants were asked how they feel about their sleep using one item on a 4-point scale from the Assessment of Quality of Life questionnaire. The risk of fall was evaluated using the Falls Risk Assessment Tool. Results: The study enrolled 140 patients with a mean age of 78.4 ± 2.4 years (range 65-98 years), 55 of them being males (39%). By comparing the two groups, we found that the elderly with a history of fractures had a greater number of comorbidities, a higher risk of fall, and more severe sleep disturbances. When using univariate logistic regression, the occurrence of fractures in the elderly was significantly associated with the number of comorbidities, the risk of fall, and the presence of sleep disturbances (p < 0.0001). The multivariate regression analysis selected four independent parameters significantly linked to fractures, and these were the number of comorbidities (p < 0.03), the risk of fall score (p < 0.006), and the sleep disturbances of type 3 (p < 0.003) and 4 (p = 0.001). Conclusions: A fall-risk score over 14 and a number of comorbidities over 2 were notably associated with the occurrence of fractures. We also found strong positive correlations between the type of sleep disturbance and the risk of fall score, the number of comorbidities, and the number of fractures in the elderly.

Nocturnal sleep duration and bone mineral density: a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2014

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the association between sleep duration and bone mineral density (BMD) and determine whether vitamin D (VD) status influenced the association between sleep duration and BMD.

METHODS

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2014 participants aged ≥ 40 years were included in this study. BMD testing was conducted with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry examinations. Moreover, all individuals were divided into four groups according to self-reported nocturnal sleep duration (7-8 h; 6 h; < 6 h; and > 8 h). In addition, the differences in BMD between the normal sleep duration group and other groups were calculated using multiple linear regression models.

RESULTS

Overall, the median age of the overall study population was 55.00 years old, with 46.97% of men distributed. Participants sleeping > 8 h/night had lower BMDs than those sleeping 7-8 h/night. Moreover, the association between unhealthy sleep duration (especially > 8 h/night) and low BMD was more pronounced in older individuals, men, postmenopausal women, and subjects with inadequate VD intakes (< 15.00 µg/day) or deficient/insufficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (< 75.00 nmol/L).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, unhealthy sleep duration, especially long sleep duration, was associated with decreased BMD, particularly among individuals aged > 60 years, men, or postmenopausal women. Moreover, VD status might influence the association between sleep duration and BMD, especially in the context of inadequate VD intake or deficient/insufficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. However, given the limitations of the present study, further investigation is warranted to confirm this association and to explore potential mechanisms.

Disrupted Sleep Architecture Is Associated With Incident Bone Loss in Indian Postmenopausal Women: A Prospective Study

Inadequate sleep has been shown to be detrimental to several body systems, including the bone. We proposed to study the impact of insomnia on bone health in Indian postmenopausal women. In a 2-year prospective study, ambulant community-dwelling postmenopausal women aged >50 years were recruited through simple random sampling. Sleep duration was recorded based on self-reported sleep duration and sleep quality using the Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale (WHIIRS). Anthropometry, bone biochemistry including bone turnover markers (C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen [CTX], N-terminal telopeptide of type 1 pro-collagen [P1NP]), bone mineral density (BMD), and trabecular bone score (TBS) were assessed at baseline and at the end of 2 years. Among 190 postmenopausal women with mean (SD) age of 58.2 (6.9) years, 65/190 (34.2%) had insomnia (WHIIRS ≥ 9) and 20/190 (10.5%) developed osteoporosis at any site on follow-up. The percentage decline over 2 years in BMD in women with insomnia was significantly (p < 0.001) higher at femoral neck (2.9 [1.6] versus 1.2 [1.2]%) and lumbar spine (4.5 [2.0] versus 1.6 [1.1]%). The decrement in TBS was also significantly higher (p < 0.001) in women with suboptimal sleep (1.5 [2.1] versus 0.5 [1.0] %) when compared with those with adequate sleep. The increment in CTX (46.4 [32.2] versus 18.9 [26.4]) and decrement in P1NP (35.4 [9.1] versus 16.7 [18.9]), respectively, were also greater (p < 0.001) in women with insomnia compared with those without. On multivariate analysis, insomnia was the sole factor that was predictive (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 9.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.9-29.6; p < 0.001) of incident osteoporosis. In conclusion, poor sleep quality was associated with incident osteoporosis in Indian postmenopausal women. Optimal sleep may help to retard ongoing bone loss that results from sleep deprivation and requires further research. © 2022 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Sleep disturbance and bone mineral density, risk of falls and fracture: Results from a 10.7-year prospective cohort study

Sleep problems are common in the general population and have been linked to bone health, falls risk and fracture. However, longitudinal studies on sleep-bone health outcomes are lacking and no study has investigated whether an increased risk of fracture is attributable to sleep-related low bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased risk of falls. This study was designed to examine the associations of sleep disturbance with bone mineral density (BMD), risk of falls and fractures over 10.7 years. The analyses were performed in a population-based cohort study with 1099 participants (mean age 62.9 years) enrolled at baseline, and 875, 768 and 563 participants traced at a mean follow-up of 2.6, 5.1 and 10.7 years, respectively. At each visit, self-reported sleep disturbance was recorded. BMD (by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), falls risk score and fracture were measured at each visit. The short-form Physiological Profile Assessment was used to measure falls risk score expressed as Z-score. Fractures were self-reported. Mixed-effects model and generalized estimating equations were used for the analyses. In multivariable analysis, there was a dose-response relationship between the extent of sleep disturbance and falls risk score with the strongest association in those reporting the worst sleep disturbance (β = 0.15/unit; 95%CI 0.02-0.28). The worst sleep disturbance was associated with an increased risk of any (relative risk [RR] 1.30/unit; 95%CI 1.01-1.67) and vertebral fracture (RR 2.41/unit; 95%CI 1.00-5.80) compared with those reporting no interrupted sleep. Women but not men with sleep disturbance had a higher risk of vertebral fracture (RR: 2.07 to 6.02, P < 0.05). These were independent of covariates, hip BMD and falls risk. There was no statistically significant association between sleep disturbance and BMD at the hip, spine or total body. Sleep disturbance was independently associated with a greater falls risk score and an increased risk of fractures. Further research is needed to confirm and identify underlying mechanisms for these associations.

Intensity Matters for Musculoskeletal Health: A Cross-Sectional Study on Movement Behaviors of Older Adults from High-Income Scottish and Low-Income South African Communities

This study aimed to investigate differences in physical activity (PA) patterns and the associations between objectively measured 24-h movement behaviors and musculoskeletal measures (muscle strength, muscle mass, physical performance, and bone mineral density) in a high-income and a low-income community. This cross-sectional study recruited independent living older adults aged 60-85 years from high-income Scottish (n = 150) and low-income South African (n = 138) settings. Participants completed demographic and health questionnaires, and testing included body composition and bone mineral density (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), physical performance (grip strength, gait speed), and PA (accelerometry). Participants accumulated similar amounts of weekly total PA, however, the Scottish cohort engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB), while the South African cohort spent more time sleeping and in light intensity PA (LPA). From compositional data analysis, more time spent in MVPA relative to the other movement behaviors was positively associated with higher muscle mass (p < 0.001) and strength (p = 0.001) in the Scottish cohort. Conversely, more time spent in MVPA was associated with faster gait speed (p < 0.001) and greater hip bone mineral density (p = 0.011) in the South African cohort. Our findings confirm the beneficial role of MVPA in both high- and low-income cohorts, however, the relationship MVPA had with components of musculoskeletal health in older adults differed between settings.

The association between social isolation and musculoskeletal health in older community-dwelling adults: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study

PURPOSE

Social isolation has been associated with both physical and psychological adverse outcomes and is prevalent in older adults. We investigated the impact of social isolation on bone mineral density (BMD) and physical capability in community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

Data were collected in 2011 and 2017 from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study. In 2011, we assessed social isolation using the six-item Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) and the Maastricht Social Participation Profile (MSSP) and depressive and anxiety symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Physical capability was assessed by performing tests of gait speed, chair stands, timed up and go and balance at both time points. BMD was assessed using dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at both time points.

RESULTS

Data were available from 369 participants in 2011 and 184 in 2017. Forty percent of men and 42.4% of women were socially isolated. Isolated participants had higher odds of depressive disorder (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.27-7.11, p < 0.02). Social isolation at baseline was associated with poor physical capability scores at follow-up (OR 5.53, 95% CI 1.09-27.99, p < 0.04). No associations were found between social isolation and BMD at either time point.

CONCLUSIONS

Social isolation was associated with higher odds of having depressive symptoms and predicted the development of poor physical capability 6 years later. Further longitudinal studies that include loneliness as a covariate are warranted.