Effectiveness of the leukotriene receptor antagonist pranlukast hydrate for the treatment of sleep disorder in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis

Conclusion: We found that addition of pranlukast to the conventional treatment for perennial allergic rhinitis may contribute to improvements in sleep disorder symptoms through a decrease in nasal congestion. Objective: We aimed to determine whether the leukotriene receptor antagonist pranlukast hydrate is effective in treating sleep disorder in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey to determine the symptoms of rhinitis and sleep disturbances in 48 adult patients with perennial allergic rhinitis who visited the outpatient otolaryngology departments in hospitals in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The subjects presented with nasal symptoms and symptoms of sleep disorder during the last 2 weeks of treatment for allergic rhinitis that lasted for at least 1 month. A questionnaire based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Athens Insomnia Scale with some modifications was administered before and 4 weeks after the addition of pranlukast to the conventional treatment. Results: Addition of pranlukast improved the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis, with responses to all items of the questionnaire administered 4 weeks after pranlukast addition indicating significant improvements. Furthermore, the improvement in sleep disorder symptoms significantly correlated with improvement in nasal congestion, but not with improvements in sneezing and nasal discharge.