Obstructive sleep apnea prevalent in nonobese patients

June 9, 2009

There is a high probability of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in non-obese, middle-aged patients, according to new research.

Results confirmed that OSA in non-obese patients is most prevalent in middle-aged men with larger neck sizes. Fifty-four percent (2,906) of 5,426 non-obese patients were OSA positive, and most of them were middle age (57 percent). An equal number of patients had mild OSA (50.4%) or moderate to severe OSA (49.6%). Male prevalence and neck size were significantly higher in the group with moderate to severe OSA.

According to lead author Teimur Yeligulashvili, PhD, clinical supervisor at SleepTech in Wayne, N.J., the researchers were surprised by the fact that no significant differences were found in Epworth Sleepiness Scale results and neck size between OSA positive and OSA negative in non-obese patients.

"More than 50 percent of non-obese OSA patients had mild OSA, suggesting that in-lab polysmonography may be more accurate in assessing people in this demographic, as opposed to portable monitoring systems," said Yeligulashvili.

The study included data from 5,426 non obese patients and 23,157 overweight patients. Data were collected from a total of 28,583 polysomnograms from patients 18 years or older between 2004 and 2008 from 18 sleep centers in the SleepTech network. Patients with body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 27 were considered as non-obese and patients with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of greater than five were defined as OSA positive.

Associations have been found between OSA and serious medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and increased risk for mortality.

Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine (news : web)