Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea among patients with coronary artery disease in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Despite the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and coronary artery disease (CAD), few studies have investigated this issue in Saudi Arabia. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of OSA among CAD patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional (descriptive) study conducted at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from April 2012 to December 2013. All consecutive patients referred to the cardiac catheterization lab for coronary angiography who exhibited evidence of CAD were included in this study. This study was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, each participant was interviewed individually. The administered interview collected data pertaining to demographics, comorbidities, and the STOP-BANG questionnaire score. The second stage of this study consisted of a diagnostic overnight polysomnography (PSG) of 50% of the subjects at high risk for OSA according to the STOP-BANG questionnaire. RESULTS: Among the patients with CAD (N = 156), 128 (82%) were categorized as high risk for developing OSA. PSG was conducted on 48 patients. The estimated prevalence of OSA in the study sample was 56.4%. Approximately 61% of the documented sleep apnea patients suffered from moderate to severe OSA. CONCLUSION: This local study concurs with reports in the literature indicating that OSA is very common among CAD patients.