OSA Prevalent in Nonobese Patients

SEATTLE—There is a high probability of obstructive sleep
apnea in nonobese, middle-aged patients, according to research
presented last week at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd annual meeting of the
Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
 
Researchers found that OSA in nonobese patients is most prevalent
in middle-aged men with larger neck sizes.
 
Study results showed 54 percent of 5,426 nonobese patients were
OSA-positive, and most of them were middle age (57 percent). An
equal number of patients had mild OSA (50.4 percent) or moderate to
severe OSA (49.6 percent). 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 nonobese patients.
 
The study included data from 5,426 nonobese 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.
 
More than 1,300 research abstracts were presented at SLEEP 2009,
held June 6-11. The annual scientific meeting, which brings
together some 6,000 sleep researchers and clinicians, is a joint
venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society.
 
SLEEP 2010 will be held June 5-9 in San Antonio.