Objective sleep alterations and long-term use of short or intermediate half-life benzodiazepine receptor agonists are risk factors for high blood pressure in individuals with insomnia: a study in 1272 individuals referred for sleep examinations.

INTRODUCTION

Given conflicting data in the literature, the aim of this study was to examine the risk of high blood pressure (HBP) associated with sleep alterations, measured during polysomnography, and long-term use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists in a large sample of individuals with insomnia.

METHODS

Demographic and polysomnographic data from 1272 individuals with insomnia recruited from the research database of the sleep laboratory of Erasme Hospital were analyzed. HBP status was defined by the presence of one of the following: self-report at interview of either a physician's diagnosis or taking antihypertensive medication; or an average systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or an average diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg at the medical examination. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the risk of HBP associated with objective sleep alterations and long-term use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists in individuals with insomnia.

RESULTS

The prevalence of HBP in individuals with insomnia is 30.03%. After adjustment for major confounding factors associated with HBP, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that short sleep duration (<5 h), severely reduced sleep efficiency (<65%), high sleep fragmentation (sleep fragmentation index ≥18/h), and long-term use of short or intermediate half-life benzodiazepine receptor agonists were significant risk factors for HBP in individuals with insomnia.

CONCLUSION

In individuals with insomnia, objective sleep alterations and long-term use of short or intermediate half-life benzodiazepine receptor agonists are associated with higher risk of HBP. Therefore, better management of these reversible risk factors is required to avoid the negative consequences of the co-occurrence of insomnia and HBP.