Is Control of Sleep Disorders an Important Aspect of COPD Management?
Sleep disturbance is common in COPD, and may contribute to depression, cognitive dysfunction, and lessened quality of life in this disease (74). Effective treatments of sleep disturbance in individuals with COPD are needed that minimize the respiratory depressant effects of many hypnotic drugs (75). In addition, COPD can coexist with obstructive sleep apnea, compounding the ventilatory defect of each condition (76). Studies are needed to evaluate the use of oxygen or noninvasive ventilatory support in patients with this “overlap syndrome.” 12. How Should Comorbid Conditions Be Managed? Patients with COPD are at enhanced risk of associated comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and sleep-disordered breathing (58, 74). Despite this, little research has been done to determine the optimal means of managing COPD in combination with other conditions. For example, there is uncertainty as to whether COPD should be a relative contraindication for the use of beta-adrenergic b
