Singh, Gajinder Pal

Abstract Study Objectives Narcolepsy has a complex phenotype owing to differences in symptomatology, disease severity, and comorbidities. This is the first study to use aggregate electronic health record (EHR) data and natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to characterize the demographics and comorbidities of a large cohort of patients with narcolepsy. Methods First-time Mayo Clinic patients (2000–2020) who had ≥1 narcolepsy-specific ICD-9/10 code and ≥1 disease-supportive statement in the clinical notes (identified using an NLP algorithm) were identified. A control cohort was propensity matched for birth year, age at first institutional encounter, sex, race, ethnicity, number of diagnosis codes, and mortality. Common comorbidities were compared and ranked between cohorts. Results In the EHR database (N = 6 389 186 patients), 2057 patients with narcolepsy were identified (median age, 32 years; 59.6% female; 92.6% white; and 89.2% non-Hispanic) and propensity matched with a control cohort. Among the top 20 comorbidities occurring more frequently in the narcolepsy cohort compared with the control cohort (odds ratio [OR], 1.67–3.94; p < .001]) were sleep disorders (restless legs syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and insomnia), mood disorders (depression, dysthymia, and anxiety), and pain disorders (chronic pain syndrome, migraine, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and myalgia). Other comorbidities significantly associated with narcolepsy (OR, 1.33–1.95) were irritable bowel syndrome (p < .001), asthma (p < .001), cervical spondylosis (p < .01), syncope (p < .01), and hypothyroidism (p < .05). Conclusions This propensity-matched cohort study demonstrates increased psychiatric, sleep, and pain disorders in patients living with narcolepsy and challenges beyond narcolepsy-specific symptoms in this population. Understanding common narcolepsy-associated comorbidities may assist in tailoring treatment modalities.

Abstract Introduction Narcolepsy is a rare, chronic sleep disorder whose symptoms detrimentally impact quality of life. Narcolepsy has a complex phenotype associated with multiple comorbid conditions. This is the first study to use aggregate electronic health record (EHR) data to characterize the demographics and comorbidities of patients with narcolepsy. Methods An EHR-based search identified first-time Mayo Clinic patients between 2000–2020. Included patients had ≥1 narcolepsy-specific ICD-9/10 code and ≥1 disease-supportive statement in the clinical notes (identified using a natural language processing algorithm). A control cohort was propensity-matched for birth year, age at first institutional encounter, sex, race, ethnicity, number of diagnosis codes, and mortality. Common comorbidities were compared and ranked between cohorts by odds ratio (OR); P values were adjusted and calculated based on Bonferroni correction. Results In the EHR database (N=6,389,186 patients), 2057 patients with narcolepsy were identified (median age at first presentation to Mayo clinic, 32 y [range, 17–48]; 59.6% female; 92.6% white; 89.2% non-Hispanic) and propensity-matched with a control cohort of 2057 patients (median age at first presentation to Mayo clinic, 35 y [range, 12–52]; 58.9% female; 94.6% white; 84.5% non-Hispanic). Among the top comorbidities that occurred more frequently in the narcolepsy cohort compared to the control cohort (OR [95% CI]; P< 0.001]) were sleep disorders (restless leg syndrome, 3.94 [3.09–5.02]; obstructive sleep apnea, 3.27 [2.83–3.79]; insomnia, 1.84 [1.57–2.17]); mood disorders (depression, 2.11 [1.86-2.40]; dysthymia, 1.86 [1.54–2.25]; anxiety, 1.67 [1.46–1.89]); and pain disorders (chronic pain syndrome, 2.20 [1.76–2.76]; migraine, 1.96 [1.66–2.31]; fibromyalgia, 1.90 [1.61–2.25]; carpal tunnel syndrome, 1.80 [1.46–2.22]; myalgia, 1.69 [1.45–1.97]). Other comorbidities statistically significantly associated with narcolepsy were (OR range, 1.33–1.95) irritable bowel syndrome (P< 0.001), asthma (P< 0.001), cervical spondylosis (P< 0.01), syncope (P< 0.01), and hypothyroidism (P< 0.05). Conclusion This propensity-matched cohort study affirmed prior studies of increased psychiatric and sleep disorders in patients with narcolepsy. Narcolepsy patients were twice as likely to experience chronic pain syndrome compared to the matched control group. Understanding common narcolepsy comorbidities may help optimize treatment efficacy and increase understanding of the medical/psychiatric challenges of narcolepsy patients. Support (if any) Avadel Pharmaceuticals