Association of nightmares with cardio-cerebrovascular disease, hypertension and hyperlipidemia in older adults: A population-based cross-sectional study

Objective: This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship of nightmares with cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CVD), hypertension and hyperlipidemia which are major preceding diseases of CVD in older adults. Methods: Participants ( n = 2824; mean age 63.6 +/- 6.6 years, females 49.3%) completed the Disturbing Dream and Nightmare Severity Index (DDNSI), which was used to divide the sample into either the Nightmare or NonNightmare group (cut-off score >= 10). Demographic information, history of CVD (cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmia), hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and self-report questionnaires about stress (Perceived Stress Scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and insomnia symptoms were also collected. Results: Among the sample, 379 participants (13.4%) reported experiencing nightmares more than once a year, and 73 participants (2.6%) were classified as having nightmare disorder based on DDNSI scores ( >= 10). 11.3% of participants ( n = 319) reported having more than one CVD. Approximately half of the participants reported a history of hypertension (52.1%, n = 1471) and hyperlipidemia (47.7%, n = 1346). Logistic regression analysis indicated the Nightmare group was 2.04 times at higher risk for hyperlipidemia (OR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.22 -3.40, p = .006) after controlling for covariates compared to the Non-Nightmare group. Although non-significant, there was a trend toward a higher risk of hypertension in the Nightmare group (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 0.99 -2.84, p = .056). Conclusions: Results of this study indicate frequent nightmares in older adults may be associated with hyperlipidemia, which are risk factors for CVD. Further studies are needed to explore nightmares' directionality and health consequences in an aging population.