A community study of snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. Symptoms.

Abstract

Four hundred forty-one subjects 34 to 69 yr of age were recruited from a random sample of the community. The sample was biased in favor of men, snorers, and subjects with subjective sleep complaints. They answered a questionnaire and were monitored in their homes for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). This report concerns the presence of symptoms associated with the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome in the subjects with SDB detected in this community sample. Most of the symptoms commonly recognized as occurring in OSA were associated with SDB in our sample: snoring that disturbed the sleep of other persons, reports of apnea, reports of gasping or choking sounds during sleep, and finding the bedclothes in disarray in the mornings had significant univariate associations with SDB. Nocturnal choking and morning headache were negatively associated with SDB. Excessive daytime somnolence (EDS) was reported by 41% of those with SDB, but it was also reported by 37% of snorers without SDB and by 37% of nonsnorers. We conclude that the symptoms seen in clinic patients with OSA also occur in subjects with SDB who have not presented for medical attention. Enumeration of these symptoms by questionnaire, however, is a poor test for OSA in the community. EDS was reported by a higher than expected proportion of subjects not affected by SDB, suggesting that causes of self-reported EDS other than SDB may be common.

Síndrome das apnéias-hipopnéias obstrutivas do sono: associação com gênero e obesidade e fatores relacionados à sonolência

“…(1) The most evident symptom of OSAHS is snoring. (2) Snoring results from the relaxation of the abductor muscles of the pharynx and is observed in more than 60% of the male population over 60 years of age. (3) Apneas reported by the bed partner is another sign of OSAHS.…”

Método simplificado para el diagnóstico del síndrome de apnea-hipopnea del sueño (SAHS). A propósito de una serie de casos empleando el polígrafo respiratorio BREAS SC-20.

“…Como ha sido previamente descrito no hay correlación entre el número de eventos respiratorios registrados por monitoreo del sueño y la severidad de la somnolencia (2,(35)(36)(37)(38). Esto se explica por la dificultad para cuantificar un síntoma subjetivo, diferencias de orden cultural en las poblaciones clínicas estudiadas, expresiones clínicas individuales frente a la presencia de eventos obstructivos durante el dormir, así como a la diferente sensibilidad y especificidad de las herramientas o cuestionarios empleados para su calificación.…”

Pathophysiology and Treatment Options in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Review of the Literature

“…There is a higher prevalence of OSA reported for men compared with women, with a male to female ratio of between 2.3:1 [26,27]. In two studies comparing snoring and AHI between middle-aged men and women, Ferini-Strambi and co-workers [28,29] showed using a home monitoring equipment that 7% of the females snored more than 50% of the night.…”