Effect of Sleep Position and Body Mass Index on Severity of Sleep Apnea

• Published in: Turkish Archives of Otorhinolaryngology Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 7 - 9
• Main Authors: Fatma Tülin Kayhan, Zahide Mine Yazıcı, İbrahim Sayın
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Galenos Yayincilik 01.03.2013
• Subjects: body mass index; body position; sleep apnea; sleep stage
• ISSN: 2667-7474
• DOI: 10.5152/tao.2013.02

Objective:To examine the effects of sleep position and body mass index on obstructive events in adults with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).Methods:The sleep studies of 51 adults with OSAS (apnea- hypopnea index >5/h) were retrospectively evaluated. The study population was classified into obese (body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2) and non-obese (BMI<30 kg/m2) subjects. Sleep positions were classified as supine and non-supine (prone, left lateral, right lateral). Data on total obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), AHI by position, AHI by BMI, rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep AHI, and REM and non-REM sleep AHI by position were evaluated.Results:The mean age was 46.75±10.93 years and 90% of subjects were males. Total sleep time was 366.49±62.50 minutes. The mean AHI was 33.97±25.45. The mean BMI was 31.17±5.76 kg/m2. There was no significant difference between the obese and non-obese groups’ age and AHI (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between non-obese cases and the supine and non-supine values of the obese subjects (p>0.05). There was no difference in the AHI index in the obese and non-obese group in the supine and non-supine position and in NREM periods (p>0.05). The AHI was worse in REM periods. The AHI was worse in all obese and non-obese subjects in the supine position (p<0.05-0.01).Conclusion:In OSAS the AHI was higher in the supine position. Obesity had no additional effect. On the other hand in all subjects while REM, NREM, AHI situations were indifferent, obese subjects AHI index in REM period is worsen.