Sleep Disorders in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

Sleep disorders are currently a major public health issue in Brazil, due to its high incidence and difficult diagnosis, identification of type and treatment.1 Rheumatic disorders have been associated with changes in sleep state, which cause reduction in quality of life, eventually reduced by the chronic inflammatory process of the primary disease.2–6 This study aimed to identify and describe the existence of sleep disturbances in patients with psoriatic arthritis, as well as to verify possible association of sleep disorders with metabolic syndrome and other parameters in these individuals. Thirty one patients with psoriatic arthritis from a Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic were analyzed. Three sleep assessment questionnaires were employed: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (EPW) and The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ). Sleep walking or talking were also inquired as a complementary scale. Sociodemographic variables and the presence of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome have also been investigated. On average, sleep disorders were found in 54.83% of the studied patients (64.5% from PSQI, 51.6% from EPW and 48.4% from Berlin) and around 70% of sleep disorders in patients with simultaneous diagnosis of metabolic syndrome and psoriatic arthritis. From these results, it is notable that sleep disorders are common in patients diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Thus, this pathology demands greater attention in clinical practice and search for ideal and complete therapy, in addition to simultaneous control of arthritis, sleep, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity.