Sleep apnea and health-related quality of life in African-American elderly

The relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sleep a pnea was examined in a sample of elderly African-Americans screened for sno ring and daytime sleepiness. Seventy African-Americans over the age of 65 y ears completed a comprehensive sleep questionnaire, the Quality of Well-Bei ng Scale (QWB), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Core Measures of HRQOL (116-item Long Version) and had sleep recorded. Those with moderate-severe sleep apnea had significantly lower Physical Component summary scores than those with no sleep apnea (p < 0.05). After controlling for medical condit ions, sleep apnea was significantly related to both general physical functi oning and general mental health functioning in those with mild apnea (apnea -hypopnea index [AHI] <15), but not in those with moderate to severe apnea. There was an initial decrease in HRQOL up to an AHI level of 15, at which point HRQOL remained at a lowered level. The QWB scores of our sleep apnea sample were similar to the QWB scores found in patients with depression and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting that sleep distur bances may impact daily living and health as much as other medical conditio ns.