Digital Therapeutic for Insomnia Linked With Reduced Rates of Cardiovascular Events

A prescription digital therapeutic for chronic insomnia was associated with a 67% lower rate of cardiovascular events requiring emergency care or hospitalization among users, according to research presented at AMCP 2023.

“Increasing studies show a link between insomnia and a potential increased risk of cardiovascular diseases,” researchers explained in the study background.

Somryst, the prescription digital therapeutic used in the study, delivers cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Researchers analyzed claims data to compare rates of acute cardiovascular events requiring an emergency department visit or hospitalization for 248 patients with insomnia before and after use of the digital therapeutic. The study also compared rates of acute cardiovascular events in 248 propensity score-matched controls with chronic insomnia who did not receive the digital therapeutic.

After use of the digital therapeutic, the rate of any acute cardiovascular event decreased 67% according to the study, while control subjects showed a 20% increase in any acute cardiovascular event after a comparative index date (the date of their second prescription for an insomnia medication).

Specifically, rates of acute ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular accident each decreased 67% in the digital therapeutic group. In controls, the rate of acute ischemic heart disease increased 66%, and the rate of cerebrovascular accident was unchanged.

“For acute heart failure, in prescription digital therapeutic patients the pre-index incidence was 0.004, while the post-index incidence was 0; in controls, the opposite was true,” researchers reported.

Hypertensive crisis incidence remained 0 before and after the digital therapeutic among users. In controls, the incidence went from 0.004 pre-index to 0 post-index, the abstract reported.

“After one-time treatment of chronic insomnia with a prescription digital therapeutic, risk of acute cardiovascular events requiring an emergency department visit or hospitalization decreased,” researchers wrote. “However, this result requires further study before any definitive conclusions can be reached.”

The study was sponsored by Pear Therapeutics (US) Inc.

Reference:
Velez F, Mahon L, Knight T, Baik R, Maricich Y, Grandner M. Real-world evaluation of acute cardiovascular events following treatment with a digital therapeutic for chronic insomnia. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2023;29(10-a suppl):S1-S137. https://www.jmcp.org/pb-assets/Poster%20Abstract%20Supplements/AMCP2023_PosterAbstractSupplement_0317-1679318682267.pdf