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Sleepiness in elderly veterans

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Abstract

Purpose

This observational study seeks to describe the distribution of sleepiness among elderly male veterans and to explain the relationship between sleepiness and age, function, mobility, and depression in this population.

Methods

Veterans who were age 60 or older and had two or more functional limitations based on their activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living were recruited in outpatient clinics. They were recruited as part of a longitudinal study and completed questionnaires reported here at the 18-month data collection time point.

Results

Veterans report higher sleepiness than normal controls. Self-reported sleepiness scores are similar to those of patients who have been diagnosed with sleep disturbances.

Conclusions

Interventions to identify and support aging veterans with perceived sleepiness should be developed and carefully evaluated.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the numerous contributions of the following individuals in data collection and implementation: Melissa Cappaert, Tanetta Anderson, Anthony D’Eramo, Denise Kresevic, and Patricia Higgins.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 39, Brooklyn, NY, 11203-2098, USA

    Klara K. Papp

  2. Polisher Research Institute, Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life, North Wales, PA, USA

    Katherine Harris Abbott

  3. Medicine-Geriatrics, General Medical Sciences-Oncology and Bioethics, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Julia Hannum Rose

  4. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Kingman P. Strohl

  5. Sleep Laboratory, Louis B. Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Kingman P. Strohl

Authors
  1. Klara K. Papp
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  2. Katherine Harris Abbott
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  3. Julia Hannum Rose
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  4. Kingman P. Strohl
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Klara K. Papp.

Additional information

Data for this project were collected between June 1, 2001 and June 1 2004.

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Papp, K.K., Abbott, K.H., Rose, J.H. et al. Sleepiness in elderly veterans. Sleep Breath 18, 283–287 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-013-0879-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-013-0879-3

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