The Effects of Different Types of Sleep Disorder on Colorectal Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

The impact of sleep disorders (SDs), particularly sleep apnea (SA), on the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been the subject of significant research. However, the potential contribution of other SDs to the incidence of CRC remains unexplored. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of SDs on the risk of developing CRC. This study assessed CRC risk among individuals diagnosed with SDs compared with age- and sex-matched unaffected individuals. A longitudinal, nationwide, population-based cohort study was conducted using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) encompassing 177,707 individuals diagnosed with SDs and 177,707 matched controls. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to determine the relative increased risk of CRC in individuals with SDs and specific subgroups of SDs. The CRC incidences were 1.32-fold higher (95% CI 1.23–1.42) in the overall SD cohort, 1.17-fold higher (95% CI 0.82–1.68) in the SA cohort, 1.42-fold higher (95% CI 1.31–1.55) in the insomnia cohort, 1.27-fold higher (95% CI 1.17–1.38) in the sleep disturbance cohort, and 1.00-fold higher (95% CI 0.77–1.29) in the other SD cohort, after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities.