Bidirectional Association Seen for Sleep Disorders, Chronic Kidney Disease

Significant bidirectional associations seen for obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, insomnia with CKD

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) — There are bidirectional associations for sleep disorders with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a review published in the November issue of Chronic Kidney Journal.

Jin Hean Koh, from the National University of Singapore, and colleagues examined the bidirectional association between sleep disorders and CKD in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Data were examined from 63 studies with 26,777,524 patients.

The researchers observed significant associations for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), albuminuria, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and insomnia with CKD (risk ratios, 1.68, 1.54, 1.88, and 1.24, respectively). A significant association was seen between OSA and incident CKD (risk ratio, 1.77). Compared with healthy controls, patients with CKD had a significantly greater risk for OSA, RLS, and insomnia (relative risks, 1.74, 1.73, and 1.14, respectively). In addition, there was a significant association seen for CKD with incident OSA (risk ratio, 1.60).

“This study highlights the relationships between sleep disorders and CKD and adds to the growing evidence base suggesting the coexistence of both disorders,” the authors write. “Physicians treating patients with sleep disorders should be aware of this association with CKD and vice versa, and adopt measures targeted at addressing the coexistence of these disorders.”