Insomnia tied to higher risk of stroke By: Alex, Kathleen, Edith,

Hypothesis/ Purpose ● Insomnia, in comparison to other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, has an affect on the incidence of stroke. ● To determine if insomnia adds to the risk of stroke. If so, what sub-set of insomnia shows more incidences of stroke.

Who were the Participants? ● 21,438 participants with insomnia and 64,314 matched participants without insomnia.

Methods ● Retrospective cohort and case-control study. Follow-up was 4 years later after baseline. ● Randomly selected, matched pairs, 1 insomniac for every 3 non-insomniacs, by sex and age. ● 18-34, 35-49, 50-64, 65+ age groups. ● Insomniacs separated into 3 groups (subsets) based on the amount of insomnia episodes they experienced. Note: All the Participants did not have previous diagnoses of stroke.

Was this Methodology Appropriate? ● Long-term research necessary ● Presence of insomnia precursor to stroke ● Symptoms of insomnia long-term ● Compare stroke in insomniacs vs non- insomniacs for accurate results

Results ● 583 Stroke admissions among insomniac participants and 962 admissions among non-insomniac participants ● Incidence rate higher among insomniacs compared to non-insomniacs ● Largest incidence rate was among the insomniacs in age group 18-34

Results ● Insomniacs had a 54% increased risk of stroke compared to non-insomniacs ● Of the three subsets, persistent insomniacs had the highest risk of stroke ● Women were 28% less likely to develop stroke than men

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Limitations with findings ● Sampling bias ● Incidence could be underestimated ● Accuracy of insomnia diagnoses ● Evidence is still inadequate if insomnia is primary influence on stroke

Conclusion ● People with insomnia have a higher risk and incidence for hospitalization of stroke ● Educate public on signs and symptoms of insomnia ● Interventions to improve insomnia and cardiovascular health

Participant Safety ● The personal information used in this study was de-identified data that provided the researchers with the health records ● IRB approval was obtained from Chi-Mei medical center

Popular Article Vs. Scientific Article Similarities ● The size of the study population ● Those at the highest risk ● Importance of this information ● Future applications

Popular Article Vs. Scientific Article Differences ● Other risk factors to higher stroke ● Who was in the study ● Differences between control and sample groups

What does this mean to me? ● If you suffer from any form of insomnia you should seek medical advice immediately. By seeking medical advice you may reduce your risk of stroke by greater than 50%.

How will this be applied? ● Now that the information is out there showing a strong correlation between insomnia and stroke should there be detection programs at yearly physicals?

References Wu, M., Lin, H., Weng, S., Ho, C., Wang, J., & Hsu, Y. Insomnia Subtypes and the Subsequent Risks of Stroke. American Stroke. Retrieved April 9, 2014 Kwan, N. (2014, April 4). Insomnia tied to higher risk of stroke in young adults, study says.. Retrieved April 9, 2014, from to-higher-risk-stroke-in-young-adults-study-says/