Two new studies to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting show that narcolepsy is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and adverse cardiac events. Results show that people who have narcolepsy, compared with those without narcolepsy, had a 77% increased risk of any cardiovascular disease and an 82% increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Their risk of stroke was two times higher, and they also had a 64% increased risk of heart failure or myocardial infarction, and a 58% increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
In a separate analysis of the same study population that controlled for the use of stimulants, oxybates, and wake-promoting agents at baseline, as well as time-varying stimulant use, people who have narcolepsy had an 89% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 95% higher risk of major adverse cardiac events. "Through a carefully designed study that integrates propensity score matching, we have uncovered compelling evidence about the relationship between narcolepsy and cardiovascular disease," said co-lead author Christopher Kaufmann, who has a doctorate in public mental health and is an assistant professor in the department of health outcomes and biomedical informatics at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. Even after accounting for influential confounding factors like diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea, our findings persistently underscore the significant association between narcolepsy and cardiovascul.
