In a recent study performed by the Division of Gastroenterology at Rabin Medical Center, researchers were searching for a correlation between the quality of sleep of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and more specifically in patients with Crohn's Disease. The study included a total of 144 participants, 108 being patients suffering from Crohn's Disease and who were undergoing treatment at an IBD clinic and 36 being healthy individuals who volunteered their time for the study. All 144 participants completed demographic questionnaire's as well as the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). A high score on the PSQI is indicative of poor sleep quality. The 36 Crohn's Disease patients also completed a Crohn's Disease activity index and were divided into two groups based on the results of this activity index. Patients with a score less than or equal to 150 were placed into the inactive disease group, and patients with a score greater than or equal to 150 were placed into the active disease group. The active Crohn's Disease patients had a significantly higher PSQI (8.6 +/- 2.4) as compared to the inactive Crohn's Disease particpants (4.6 +/- 1.9) and the healthy participants (5.1 +/- 1.7), indicating that there is indeed a positive correlation between sleep quality and Crohn's Disease.
Do you think that this correlation between sleep quality and active Crohn's Disease is only a matter of the amount of discomfort that these patients are experiencing? Why or why not? Do you think that impairment of sleep quality in active Crohn's Disease patients could ultimately lead to even poorer health? Had you been one of these researchers, what other tests would you have performed and why?
1.) Gingold-Belfer, R., N. Peled, S. Levy,
N. Katz, Y. Niv, R. Fass, G. Fraser, and R. Dickman. "Impaired Sleep
Quality in Crohn's Disease Depends on Disease Activity." NCBI (2013): n. pag. Pubmed.gov. PubMed, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24114045>.
I think that at least part of the reason that the active Crohn's Disease patients are sleeping less than inactive or healthy people is because they are experiencing discomfort.This lowered sleep quality may then cause them to have even poorer health. This is an interesting article. It just shows that a disease can be affected by things other than the system that the disease is a part of.
ReplyDeleteIt seems rather obvious that a patient who has a very 'active' CD would have a poorer quality of life than patients with inactive CD and those without IBD. I would've liked to see something involving everyday 'maintenance' or day to day medication and/or care of the disorder overall - to include pain meds and sleep aids (if any). Also any sort of homeopathic methods that one may have tried would've been a point to make. Furthermore, I feel inadequate quality of sleep could impact everyone to some degree, especially those who have a chronic illness.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I personally don't suffer from a chronic illness, but when I get an insufficient amount of sleep, I catch colds very quickly and overall just feel as if my body isn't functioning on 100%.
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ReplyDeleteFrom experience, I can say that when I lack sleep, I feel my digestive system reacts to that. Makes sense since sleep is time when the body and brain get to recover from the stressful events they go through the day. Now when it comes to the disease getting in the way of getting the needed sleep then that is for sure going to bring other problems or worsening of the symptoms that they are already getting. I agree with longoria where it would of been nice to see studies on how certain medication or homeopathic remedies might help or not with these individuals. Great post Leanne :)
ReplyDeleteI think the lack of sleep can definitely lead to poorer health for those who have Crohn's Disease. I found an article where they share research from a study in the Journal of Gastroenerology and Hepatology where they report that sleep deprivation does affect the quality of life and can cause GI symptoms that affect the severity of the disease and increase the risk of flare ups. This lack of sleep is also very bad for other health issues like depression, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Being well rested should be taken more seriously. Things people should avoid at night are caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Also developing a day to day routine can help along with a dark and quiet environment when its time for bed.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.qualityhealth.com/crohns-disease-articles/crohns-sleep-whats-connection