The financial crisis has an impact in sleep medicine: experience of a sleep clinic in Greece.

OBJECTIVE

Greece has entered a long period of economic crisis with adverse effects in daily life. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the economic crisis on the population visiting a sleep clinic between years 2008 and 2011.

METHODS

Comparison of the number of patients, anthropometric data, symptoms, and treatment between 2008 (beginning of crisis) to 2011(great impact of crisis) was conducted.

RESULTS

The number of patients significantly reduced in 2011(n = 127) compared with that in 2008 (n = 463) and 2009 (n = 465). The mean age, body mass index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale did not differ between the years (52.2 ± 13.7 years, 33 ± 7.4 kg/m(2), and 11.4 ± 5.4, respectively). The main symptom of the patients was daytime sleepiness, and the symptoms that worsened in 2011 compared with 2008 were headaches (32.4 vs. 49.6 %, p < 0.001) and nightmares (44 vs. 75.9 %, p < 0.001). In 2008, 69.1 % of patients required treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and 81.6 % of them received CPAP. In 2011, 67.7 % required treatment, but only 52.3 % received CPAP.

CONCLUSIONS

The economic crisis can be reflected in the number of patients, their symptoms and their treatment options.