C. Zamarron et al., Prevalence of sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea in 50-to 70-year-old individuals - A survey, RESPIRATION, 66(4), 1999, pp. 317-322
Purpose: To determine the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) an
d sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in a general population aged from 50 to 70 yea
rs. Subjects and Methods: We recruited 76 individuals aged between 50 and 7
0 years, chosen at random from the electoral census, They were invited to t
he clinic where a detailed medical history was taken and physical examinati
on, ENT examination, pulmonary function tests and night time recording of r
espiratory variables performed. Results: The prevalence of SDB (apnea-hypop
nea index greater than or equal to 5) was 28.9%, and there were no differen
ces between men (28%) and women (30%). However, the prevalence of SAS was 6
.8%, and there were differences between men (5 cases) a nd women (0 cases)
(p = 0.0521). Subjects in the SDB group had higher systolic blood pressure
than in the non-SDB group (p < 0.05), Conclusions: SDB and SAS are common a
mong 50- to 70-year olds. The prevalence of SDB was 28.9% and the prevalenc
e of SAS was 6.8%.