Insomnia tied to higher risk of strokeBy: 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

Chart

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?

ReferencesWu, 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 http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/04/04/insomnia-tied-to-higher-risk-stroke-in-young-adults-study-says/