ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the association between objective short sleep duration in patients with insomnia and changes in blood parameters related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity.Method A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in 30 middle-aged adults with chronic insomnia who were divided into 2 groups according to polysomnography (PSG) total sleep time (TST) (TST > 5h and < 5h). All patients underwent subjective analysis of sleep quality, anthropometric measurements, PSG, and determination off asting blood parameters.Results The results revealed lower sleep efficiency and higher sleep latency for those with a TST < 5h. The subjective sleep quality was worse in the TST < 5h. Significantly, higher glucose and cortisol levels were observed with a TST < 5h. Glucose, cortisol and ACTH levels were inversely correlated with the PSG total sleep time.Conclusion Patients with insomnia with objective short sleep duration had HPA-associated endocrine and metabolic imbalances chronically linked to increases in cardiovascular risk observed with this more severe insomnia phenotype.
Objetivo Avaliar a associação entre insônia com tempo de sono curto e alterações sanguíneas relacionados com a atividade do eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-adrenal (HPA).Método Estudo piloto transversal, com 30 adultos de meia-idade, distribuídos em 2 grupos de acordo com o tempo total de sono (TTS) pela polisonografia (PSG) (TTS > 5h e < 5h). Os pacientes foram submetidos a análise subjetiva da qualidade do sono, medidas antropométricas, PSG e parâmetros sanguíneos em jejum.Resultados Revelaram baixa eficiência do sono e maior latência do sono para aqueles com TTS < 5h. A qualidade subjetiva do sono foi pior no TTS < 5h. Significativamente, os níveis de glicose e cortisol mais elevados foram observados no grupo com TTS < 5h. Os níveis de glicose, cortisol e ACTH foram inversamente correlacionados com o TTS da PSG.Conclusão Pacientes com insônia com tempo de sono curto apresentaram desequilíbrios endócrinos e metabólicos associados a atividade do eixo HPA, correlacionados ao aumento do risco cardiovascular observado neste fenótipo mais grave de insônia.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiopathology , Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiopathology , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/blood , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood , Body Mass Index , Blood Glucose/analysis , Chronic Disease , Epidemiologic Methods , Fasting , Growth Hormone/blood , Hydrocortisone/blood , Polysomnography , Reference Values , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Sleep disorders have an increased incidence after menopause. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of isoflavone on some oxidative stress markers in postmenopausal women complaining of insomnia. Women aged between 50-65 years (n=38) were recruited and assigned to a double-blind placebo controlled study for 4 months. The treated group received 100 mg/day of isoflavones. Blood collections were conducted on three different occasions to assess total glutathione; superoxide dismutase and catalase in erythrocytes; lipid peroxidation; and homocysteine plasma concentrations. No differences between the groups were observed. However, all the patients seem to improve their oxidative stress status and homocysteine concentration after treatment. Superoxide dismutase activity was correlated with age and time of menopause at the beginning of the treatment, but these correlations were no longer observed by the end of the study. Soy isoflavones were not able to overcome the placebo effect for either oxidative stress parameters or homocysteine concentrations.