Chronic Insomnia Raises Risk of Death

Individuals with chronic insomnia have an elevated risk of death from all causes, report Laurel Finn, from the University of Wisconsin/Madison (Wisconsin, USA), and colleagues.  Analyzing data from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study, involving 2,242 men and women, who were followed for 19 years, the team found that the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was three times higher in people with chronic insomnia than in people without insomnia.  Observing that: “Insomnia is a burdensome symptom and has a negative impact on sleep quality that may lead people to seek treatment,” the team urges that: “The identification of insomnia as a mortality risk factor may have clinical implications and raise the priority level for insomnia treatment.”