Background: Sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and poor sleep quality, have emerged as important contributors to cardiovascular morbidity. However, their combined impact on the development of ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains inadequately explored.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of OSA and poor sleep quality with the risk of developing IHD and to determine their contribution as independent cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: Two case-control studies involving patients with recent IHD and matched controls without IHD were conducted. OSA risk was assessed using the STOP-Bang questionnaire, while sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Statistical analyses included odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR), attributable risk (AR), correlation analysis, and tests of significance, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Both studies demonstrated a significant association between sleep disorders and IHD. Patients with IHD had significantly higher STOP-Bang and PSQI scores than controls. High OSA risk was strongly associated with IHD (OR = 40.08; RR = 11.25; AR = 71.93%; p< 0.01), with body mass index showing a significant positive correlation with OSA risk (r =0.396, p = 0.0016). Poor sleep quality was also significantly associated with IHD (OR = 5.76; 95% CI; AR = 60.97%; p < 0.001). Together, these findings indicate that both OSA and impaired sleep quality substantially increase the likelihood of developing IHD.

Conclusion: Sleep disorders, encompassing both OSA and poor sleep quality, are significant and potentially modifiable risk factors for ischemic heart disease. Incorporating routine sleep assessment using validated screening tools such as STOP-Bang and PSQI into cardiovascular risk evaluation may facilitate early identification and intervention, potentially reducing the burden of IHD. Larger prospective studies are warranted to further validate these findings.

Soham Samajpaty is the Chief of Research and Development at Mediprime Biotech private limited, Kolkata, India. He has completed his DM in internal medicine, after subsequent MD in general medicine from one of the top 400 med schools across the globe, the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow. He has additionally completed continued professional education or retraining degree programs (CPE) in cardiology and gastroenterology in Russia. He cracked Foreign Medical Graduate’s Examination (FMGE) by NBEMS in India in single attempt completed his subsequently completed his Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) at College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata. Thus, being a registered medical practitioner in both Russian Federation and India. He also has certification CPCDM from one of the most elite organization for diabetes research in Asia, RSSDI, India. He is working on different theoretical aspects of medical physics and medical human physiology. He has been involved in virology and industrial biotechnology as well. Research on health economics based on statistics has been done by him with an aim of prophesizing and showing present extent of health problems and their epidemiology. Apart from that he has keen interest in clinical research based on medicine trial and therapy. Apart from that, he has made some remarkable contributions in the field of Ayurveda and employed the principles of it to cure atypical dermatological rare diseases.