Prevalence of sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea in 50-to 70-year-old individuals - A survey

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%.