Increase in the frequency of obstructive sleep apnea in elderly people

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases with age. However, older adults have limited perception of the symptoms related with poor sleep quality. OBJECTIVES: To know the frequency and characteristics of age-related OSA in a large population with clinical suspicion of sleep apnea. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study. OSA was studied by respiratory polygraphy (RP). Patients were grouped by age (G): GI was between 18-45; GII: 46-65 and GIII > 65 years old. Other demographic characteristics, symptoms and RP indicators were compared. Epworth Sleep Scale (ESS) was used to analyze symptoms. RESULTS: We included 2491 patients with sleep apnea symptoms. OSA frequency (AHI > 15) in each group was 33.2 % in GI; 45.8 in GII and 50.3 in GIII (p < 0.001). Despite the significant increase in OSA severity, GIII group reported fewer symptoms (ESS: 6.0; p < 0.001). Multivariate adjusted analysis showed that the odds ratio of having OSA is three times as high at age > 65 (OR: 3.32 (2.29 - 4.88) p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As in previous reports, OSA prevalence in our population was higher among the elderly. The early identification of this syndrome in a population with poor perception of symptoms would aid to improve patient management.