Comparing General Health Status and the Risk of Comorbid Autoimmune Diseases Between Sleep Apnea and Narcolepsy Patients

Abstract

Background — Sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and sleep apnea are known to cause significant health problems if left untreated. The disorders are quite similar in terms of symptoms, but greatly differ in their etiology and also in how they are treated. Autoimmunity and comorbidity play roles in sleep disorders, especially narcolepsy, but a better understanding is needed. Methods and Results — To compare and contrast narcolepsy and sleep apnea in terms of general health status and autoimmune comorbidity, a retrospective cohort study was done by reviewing patient charts. Data collected was organized and a machine learning algorithm was used to predict which variables best differentiated the two disorders. Further statistical analyses, such as chi-square testing, were performed with these variables. The results indicate that both sleep disorders decrease a patient’s general health status, but narcolepsy has a greater likelihood of comorbid autoimmune diseases and psychiatric disorders. Conclusions — There are strong associations between narcolepsy and comorbid autoimmune diseases as well as a lesser association between sleep apnea and autoimmune diseases. In terms of general health status, both sleep disorders are detrimental to a patient’s health, but sleep apnea patients tend to develop negative health factors more than narcolepsy patients.