The Clinical and Humanistic Burden of Idiopathic Hypersomnia in the United States: Analysis of the National Health and Wellness Survey
Introduction: This study described the clinical and humanistic burden of idiopathic hypersomnia.
Methods: This retrospective study used de-duplicated data from the National Health and Wellness Survey (2021, 2023), a self-administered survey designed to reflect the health of US adults (≥18 years). Included adults self-reported a physician diagnosis of idiopathic hypersomnia and experienced idiopathic hypersomnia within the past 12 months; controls did not report or experience idiopathic hypersomnia; those with narcolepsy were excluded. Propensity score matching (1:2) minimized baseline differences between adults with idiopathic hypersomnia and controls. Bivariate analyses compared demographics, comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), and scores on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 (GAD-7), RAND-36, EQ-5D, and EQ-VAS between adults with idiopathic hypersomnia and matched controls.
Results: Included were 163 adults with idiopathic hypersomnia (64.4% female; mean age, 38.4 years) and 326 matched controls (66.0% female; mean age, 39.6 years). Adults with idiopathic hypersomnia had higher prevalence of comorbidities (eg, cardiovascular/cardiometabolic, psychiatric), higher CCI scores (1.43 vs 0.34; P < 0.001), higher BMI (29.01 vs 27.33 kg/m2; P < 0.05), worse depression (mean PHQ-9 score, 11.91 vs 7.53; P < 0.001), worse anxiety (mean GAD-7 score, 9.16 vs 5.73; P < 0.001), poorer mental/physical health (mean RAND-36 mental health composite score, 31.99 vs 39.56, and physical health composite score, 36.80 vs 44.95; P < 0.001), and worse quality of life (mean EQ-5D index score, 0.675 vs 0.786, and EQ-VAS score, 63.67 vs 73.00; P < 0.001) vs matched controls.
Conclusion: This study highlights the substantial comorbidity and quality-of-life burden of idiopathic hypersomnia.
