Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A comparison between Far-East Asian and white men

Objectives: To investigate the possible differences between Far-East Asian men and white men in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), Study Design: Prospective nonrandomized controlled study. Methods: This study compared c onsecutive Far-East Asian men with OSAS (n = 50) with two selected groups o f White men with OSAS (n = 50 in each group). One group of white men was co ntrolled for age, respiratory disturbance index (RDI), and minimum oxygenat ion saturation (LSAT), Another group was controlled for age and body mass i ndex (BMI). Cephalometric analysis was performed on all subjects. Results: The majority of the Far-East Asian men were found to be nonobese (mean BMI, 26.7 +/- 3.8) but had severe OSAS (mean RDI, 55.1 +/- 35.1), When controll ed for age, RDI, and LSAT, the white men were substantially more obese (mea n BMI, 29.7 +/- 5.8, P =.0055). When controlled for age and BMI, the white men had less severe illness (RDI, 34.1 +/- 17.9, P =.0001). Although the po sterior airway space and the distance from the mandibular plane to hyoid bo ne were less abnormal in the Far-East Asian men, the cranial base dimension s were significantly decreased. Conclusions: The majority of the Far-East A sian men in this study were found to be nonobese, despite the presence of s evere OSAS. When compared with white men, Far-East Asian men were less obes e but had greater severity of OSAS. There may be differences in obesity and craniofacial anatomy as risk factors in these two groups.