Biomedical subjects

Damien Léger

Publications and source records attributed to Damien Léger.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Allergic rhinitis and its consequences on quality of sleep: An unexplored area.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is common and has been shown to impair social life and sleep. Patients with severe symptoms may have more sleep disturbances than those with a mild form of the disease, but this has never been assessed using a validated tool. The objective of our study was to assess, in patients with AR, whether duration and severity of AR are associated with sleep impairment. METHODS: A nationwide controlled cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out. A representative sample of 260 French ear, nose, and throat and allergy specialists enrolled 591 patients with AR of at least 1 year's duration. Sleep disorders, sleep quality, and AR were assessed using validated tools (Sleep Disorders Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Score for Allergic Rhinitis). The severity of AR was assessed using the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma classification. RESULTS: All dimensions of sleep were impaired by AR, particularly by the severe type. Sleep was significantly more impaired in patients with severe AR than in those with the mild type. The duration of AR (intermittent or persistent) had no effect on sleep. CONCLUSION: These data underline the close relationship between AR and sleep and highlight the need for clinicians, particularly general practitioners, to be attentive in this respect.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Insomnia and absenteeism at work. Who pays the cost?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate the costs of insomnia-associated work absenteeism and to analyze how these costs are shared between the different payers: the national health insurance system, employers, and employees. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study over a 2-year period. SETTING: The Paris Ile de France region. PATIENTS: Two matched groups of employees: 369 insomniacs and 369 good sleepers. MEASUREMENTS: The costs of absenteeism at work associated with insomnia were estimated by comparing the 2 matched groups in terms of the number and duration of work absences. We considered that work absences incurred costs relating to salary replacement and loss of productivity: these were given a monetary value on the basis of the added value per hour worked. RESULTS: The percentage of employees with at least 1 work absence are 50% and 34% for insomniacs and good sleepers, respectively. The work absenteeism (expressed in days, per employee, per year +/- confidence intervals [CI]) differed significantly between insomniacs and good sleepers: 5.8 (+/- 1.1 ) and 2.4 (+/- 0.5), respectively (p < .001). The extra cost (+/- CI) to the national health insurance system of insomnia-associated absenteeism was estimated at euro 77 (+/- euro 39) per employee, per year. The extra cost (+/- CI) to employers was estimated at euro 233 (+/- euro 101) for salary replacement and euro 1062 (+/- euro 386) for loss of productivity. Finally, employees themselves bore a cost (+ CI) of euro 100 (euro 54). CONCLUSIONS: Employees who suffered from insomnia had a significantly higher rate of absenteeism at work than those who slept well. This absence represents a cost for society: in France, 88% of this amount is shouldered by employers.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2006

Professional correlates of insomnia.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Insomnia is a highly prevalent disorder that affects daytime functioning, behavior, and quality of life. Several reports have shown that insomnia impacts on the workforce and is associated with an increased risk of absenteeism. However, few workplace studies have been performed. Our study attempted to evaluate the professional correlates of insomnia by comparing a group of workers with insomnia to a matched group of good sleepers. The main objective measure was absenteeism. Accidents, self-esteem at work, job satisfaction, and efficiency at work were also investigated. DESIGN: Pairs of workers with insomnia (according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition definition) and good sleepers, matched by age, sex, and occupational status, were interviewed by their occupational physician and also answered a self-administered questionnaire on work-related criteria. Objective data on absenteeism (number of days absent from work) were provided by the employers' health resource databases. SETTING: Paris and the Ile de France region (France). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Seven hundred eighty-five subjects completed the questionnaire. We retained 369 pair (ie, 738 subjects) for analysis. Insomniacs missed work twice as often as good sleepers. The difference between insomniacs and good sleepers in terms of absenteeism was particularly high for blue-collar workers (odds ratio = 3.0) and men (odds ratio = 2.31). Insomniacs had also a higher accident rate while driving and, strikingly, a 3-fold greater risk of having 2 or 3 serious road accidents. They also reported poor self-esteem at work, less job satisfaction, and less efficiency at work, compared with good sleepers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found an objective increase in absenteeism in insomniacs compared with good sleepers.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2004

[Sleep disorders in elderly].

Insomnia affects 20% of the adult population in western countries and its prevalence increases with age. There is a controversy regarding the origin of sleep disorders in elderly. Are they only due to a senile process of sleep functioning or due to other associated comorbidities? Considering the objective assessment of sleep in elderly (by polysomnography), it has been shown an increasing sleep latency, decreasing total sleep time and sleep efficiency, a lower percentage of slow wave sleep. The circadian clock is also modified by age with phase advance and a decreased amplitude of the circadian rhythms. The most relevant comorbidities found in older people are: sleep apneas, restless leg syndrome, psychiatric disorders (anxiety and depression) and the use of drugs.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Medical and socio-professional impact of insomnia.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Insomnia, a highly prevalent disorder with direct and indirect economic and professional consequences, affects daytime functioning, behavior, and quality of life. Several studies have shown that insomnia affects the workforce and is associated with an increased risk of accidents. Insomnia may also play a role in other disorders. Our study attempted to evaluate the socio-professional correlates of insomnia by comparing a group of insomniacs to a group of good sleepers. DESIGN: With a questionnaire focused on the socio-professional and medical consequences of insomnia, we surveyed a group of severe insomniacs and a group of good sleepers. Persons with psychiatric disorders according to the DSM-IV minimum criteria for anxiety and depression were eliminated from each group. After screening, 240 insomniacs and 391 good sleepers remained and were then compared. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Compared to good sleepers, severe insomniacs reported more medical problems, had more physician-office visits, were hospitalized twice as often, and used more medication. Severe insomniacs had a higher rate of absenteeism, missing work twice as often as did good sleepers. They also had more problems at work (including decreased concentration, difficulty performing duties, and more work-related accidents). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that insomnia has socio-professional consequences and is correlated with lower medical status.

Accidents, Occupational↗