Supervisors info:
Σπυρίδων Ζακυνθινός, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπων
Σπυρίδων Μεντζελόπουλος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ελένη Λουτράρη, Ε.ΔΙ.Π., Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
INTRODUCTION: The severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome (OSA), a clinical entity with adverse consequences in health and quality of life, seems to be influenced by body position during sleep, among other factors.
AIM: 1st, the evaluation of the body position effect on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in full night diagnostic polysomnography in patients with high probability for having OSA, independently of syndrome severity, in a Greek population, and 2nd, to examine if this is sustained during partial polysomnography, followed by CPAP titration (split night).
MATERIAL AND METHOD: The results of 100 full night (82 men, 18 women, age 55,7+11,5, Body Mass Index BMI=35.5+6) and 100 split night (74 men, 26 women, age 58+13,4, BMI=35.7+11,6) polysomnographies were analysed. The following parameters were calculated: total sleep time, total duration of REM sleep, NREM sleep, slow wave sleep, indices of desaturation and AHI.
RESULTS: 1st, Our patients mainly overweighted/obese men sleep more in the supine position (P<0,001); 2nd, AHI and desaturation index are higher in the supine position (P<0,001); 3rd, during NREM and REM sleep more respiratory episodes and desaturations are recorded in the supine position (P<0,001); 4th, AHI is higher during NREM sleep than in REM sleep (P<0,05). Similar results were obtained during split-night polysomnography.
CONCLUSION: Body position affects OSA severity in a Greek population, as AHI and desaturation index show. Split night polysomnography is reliable in this field as well, yielding similar results.
Keywords:
Obstructive sleep apnea, Positional therapy, Compliance, Effectiveness
