Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Its Comorbidities: A Study of 100 Patients

Abstract

Objectives:

Evaluate the main comorbidities associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its prevalence in a group of patients diagnosed with OSA by polysomnography.

Methods:

Patients with symptoms suggestive of sleep disorder underwent full- night attended polysomnography. Retrospective study of 100 charts of patients previously diagnosed OSA in our service between October 2010 to January 2013. We classified the degree of apnea according to the values of the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) by polysomnography: mild (5 to 15 events/ hour), moderate (15 to 30 events/ hour), and severe (more than 30 events/ hour).

Results:

A total of 100 patients, 84 men and 16 women, mean age 50.05 years ranging from 19 to 75 years. The prevalence of comorbidities were: arterial hypertension (39%), obesity (34%), depression (19%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (18%), diabetes mellitus (15%), hypercholesterolemia (10%), and asthma (4%), and 33 patients had no comorbidities. The comorbidities occurred in 56.2% of patients diagnosed with mild OSA, 67.6% with moderate OSA, and 70% with severe OSA.

Conclusions:

Patients with OSA present a high prevalence of several comorbidities. Patients with moderate and severe OSA presented more comorbidities than patients with mild OSA.