Objective: To identify the main predictive factors for obtaining a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients awaiting bariatric surgery. Methods: Retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing pre-operative evaluation for bariatric surgery and referred for in-laboratory polysomnography. Eight variables were evaluated: sex, age, neck circumference (NC), BMI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score, snoring, observed apnea, and hypertension. We employed ROC curve analysis to determine the best cut-off value for each variable and multiple linear regression to identify independent predictors of OSA severity. Results: We evaluated 1,089 patients, of whom 781 (71.7%) were female. The overall prevalence of OSA-defined as an apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5.0 events/h-was 74.8%. The best cut-off values for NC, BMI, age, and ESS score were 42 cm, 42 kg/m2, 37 years, and 10 points, respectively. All eight variables were found to be independent predictors of a diagnosis of OSA in general, and all but one were found to be independent predictors of a diagnosis of moderate/severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15.0 events/h), the exception being hypertension. We devised a 6-item model, designated the NO-OSAS model (NC, Obesity, Observed apnea, Snoring, Age, and Sex), with a cut-off value of ≥ 3 for identifying high-risk patients. For a diagnosis of moderate/severe OSA, the model showed 70.8% accuracy, 82.8% sensitivity, and 57.9% specificity. Conclusions: In our sample of patients awaiting bariatric surgery, there was a high prevalence of OSA. At a cut-off value of ≥ 3, the proposed 6-item model showed good accuracy for a diagnosis of moderate/severe OSA.

Keywords: Polysomnography; Sleep apnea, obstructive; Bariatric surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the No-Apnea score, a simplified screening instrument for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), by gender. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including adults undergoing full polysomnography. The No-Apnea model comprises two items (neck circumference and age) with a total score of 0 to 9. The severity of OSA was categorized, on the basis of the apnea-hypopnea index, as any (≥ 5 events/h), moderate-to-severe (≥ 15 events/h), or severe (≥ 30 events/h). The performance of the No-Apnea instrument was assessed by determining the area under the (ROC) curve (AUC) and by constructing contingency tables. Results: We evaluated a total of 6,606 adults (53.8% men). For categorizing the level of OSA severity, the No-Apnea score had a sensitivity of 83.9-93.0% and a specificity of 57.3-35.2%. At all OSA severity levels, the No-Apnea score exhibited higher sensitivity and lower specificity in men than in women. The No-Apnea score proved to be an appropriate screening model for patients in general or when separated by gender or severity of OSA (AUC > 0.7 for all). The discriminatory power of the No-Apnea score to predict any, moderate-to-severe, and severe OSA was similar between genders (p = 0.109, p = 0.698, and p = 0.094, respectively). Conclusions: In a sample of adults referred to the sleep laboratory, there was no significant difference between men and women in terms of the discriminatory power of the No-Apnea instrument in for screening for OSA severity.

Keywords: Sleep apnea, obstructive/diagnosis; Polysomnography; Sex; Surveys and questionnaires.

Objectives: (i) To assess the anthropometric measurements, along with the clinical characteristics and quality of life profiles of the studied patients; (ii) To determine the occurrence and severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), using polysomnography; and (iii) To identify the best anthropometric and clinical indicators to predict OSA in obese patients who are candidates for bariatric surgery. Methods: a prospective observational study conducted in a private clinic, using consecutive sampling of patients eligible for bariatric surgery with a BMI = 40, or with a BMI of = 35 kg/m² accompanied by comorbidities associated with obesity. Results: Sixty patients were initially selected, of whom 46 agreed to take part in the preoperative evaluation. OSA was observed in 76% of patients, 59% of whom had moderate-to-severe OSA, with a predominance of men in these groups. Among the variables suggesting statistical difference between groups, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was the only clinical factor associated with scores the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) = 15, with a cut-off value of 0.95. The results showed that patients scoring above 0.95 are three times more likely to have moderate-to-severe apnea. Conclusion: The best risk factor for the prognostic of moderate-to-severe OSA was presenting a WHR score with a cut-off value of 0.95 or above.

Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea; Bariatric surgery; Anthropometry; Waist-to-hip ratio.

Objective: To validate the Portuguese-language version of the STOP-Bang (acronym for Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, high blood Pressure, Body mass index, Age, Neck circumference, and Gender) questionnaire, culturally adapted for use in Brazil, as a means of screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. Methods: In this validation study, we enrolled patients ≥ 18 years of age, recruited between May of 2015 and August of 2016. All patients completed the STOP-Bang questionnaire and underwent overnight polysomnography. To evaluate the performance of the questionnaire, we used contingency tables and areas under the (receiver operating characteristic) curve (AUCs). Results: We included 456 patients. The mean age was 43.7 ± 12.5 years, and 291 (63.8%) of the patients were male. On the basis of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), we categorized OSA as mild/moderate/severe (any OSA; AHI ≥ 5 events/h), moderate/severe (AHI ≥ 15 events/h), or severe (AHI ≥ 30 events/h). The overall prevalence of OSA was 78.3%, compared with 52.0%, and 28.5% for moderate/severe and severe OSA, respectively. The most common score on the STOP-Bang questionnaire was 4 points (n = 106), followed by 3 points (n = 85) and 5 points (n = 82). An increase in the score was paralleled by a reduction in sensitivity with a corresponding increase in specificity for all AHI cut-off points. The AUCs obtained for the identification of any, moderate/severe, and severe OSA were: 0.743, 0.731, and 0.779, respectively. For any OSA, the score on the questionnaire (cut-off, ≥ 3 points) presented sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.5%, 45.5%, and 75.2%, respectively. Conclusions: The STOP-Bang questionnaire performed adequately for OSA screening, indicating that it could be used as an effective screening tool for the disorder.

Keywords: Sleep apnea, obstructive/diagnosis; Polysomnography; Diagnostic techniques and procedures; Surveys and questionnaires.

Objective: To test a prediction model for sleep apnea based on clinical and sociodemographic variables in a population suspected of having sleep disorders and submitted to polysomnography. Methods: We included 323 consecutive patients submitted to polysomnography because of the clinical suspicion of having sleep disorders. We used a questionnaire with sociodemographic questions and the Epworth sleepiness scale. Blood pressure, weight, height, and SpO2 were measured. Multiple linear regression was used in order to create a prediction model for sleep apnea, the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) being the dependent variable. Multinomial logistic regression was used in order to identify factors independently associated with the severity of apnea (mild, moderate, or severe) in comparison with the absence of apnea. Results: The prevalence of sleep apnea in the study population was 71.2%. Sleep apnea was more prevalent in men than in women (81.2% vs. 56.8%; p < 0.001). The multiple linear regression model, using log AHI as the dependent variable, was composed of the following independent variables: neck circumference, witnessed apnea, age, BMI, and allergic rhinitis. The best-fit linear regression model explained 39% of the AHI variation. In the multinomial logistic regression, mild apnea was associated with BMI and neck circumference, whereas severe apnea was associated with age, BMI, neck circumference, and witnessed apnea. Conclusions: Although the use of clinical prediction models for sleep apnea does not replace polysomnography as a tool for its diagnosis, they can optimize the process of deciding when polysomnography is indicated and increase the chance of obtaining positive polysomnography findings.

Keywords: Sleep apnea syndromes; Polysomnography; Sleep apnea, obstructive; Body mass index.

Objective: To evaluate quality of life in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who have a pacemaker. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving elderly patients (≥ 60 years of age) with a pacemaker. The dependent variable was quality of life, as evaluated with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Sociodemographic and clinical parameters, including anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score), as well as the presence of OSA (defined as an apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 15 events/h), were analyzed as independent variables. Patients with cognitive/neurological deficits or decompensated heart failure were excluded. Results: We evaluated 72 patients, 17 (23.6%) of whom presented OSA. Of those 17 patients, 9 (52.9%) were male. The mean age was 72.3 ± 9.3 years. A diagnosis of OSA was not associated with gender (p = 0.132), age (p = 0.294), or body mass index (p = 0.790). There were no differences between the patients with OSA and those without, in terms of the SF-36 domain scores. Fourteen patients (19.4%) presented moderate or severe anxiety. Of those 14 patients, only 3 (21.4%) had OSA (p = 0.89 vs. no OSA). Twelve patients (16.6%) had moderate or severe depression. Of those 12 patients, only 2 (16.6%) had OSA (p = 0.73 vs. no OSA). Conclusions: In elderly patients with a pacemaker, OSA was not found to be associated with quality of life or with symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Keywords: Quality of life; Aged; Sleep apnea, obstructive.

Objective: To investigate the extent to which exercise is associated with symptoms in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: We included subjects with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 30 events/h who completed validated sleep and exercise questionnaires. We compared symptom frequency/scores between exercisers and nonexercisers, adjusting for the usual confounders. Results: The sample included 907 nonexercisers and 488 exercisers (mean age, 49 ± 14 years; mean AHI, 53 ± 20 events/h; 81% men). Nonexercisers and exercisers differed significantly in terms of obesity (72% vs. 54%), the mean proportion of sleep in non-rapid eye movement stage 3 sleep (9 ± 8% vs. 11 ± 6%), and tiredness (78% vs. 68%). Nonexercisers had a higher symptom frequency/scores and poorer sleep quality. Adjustment for exercise weakened the associations between individual symptoms and the AHI, indicating that exercise has a mitigating effect. In binary logistic models, exercise was associated with approximately 30% lower adjusted questionnaire1 score > 2, tiredness; poor-quality sleep, unrefreshing sleep, and negative mood on awakening. Although the odds of an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score > 10 were lower in exercisers, that association did not withstand adjustment for confounders. Conclusions: Exercise is associated with lower frequency/intensity of symptoms in patients with severe OSA. Because up to one third of patients with severe OSA might exercise regularly and therefore be mildly symptomatic, it is important not to rule out a diagnosis of OSA in such patients.

Keywords: Sleep apnea syndromes; Exercise; Sleepiness; Polysomnography.

Symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, especially obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), are common in asthma patients and have been associated with asthma severity. It is known that asthma symptoms tend to be more severe at night and that asthma-related deaths are most likely to occur during the night or early morning. Nocturnal symptoms occur in 60-74% of asthma patients and are markers of inadequate control of the disease. Various pathophysiological mechanisms are related to the worsening of asthma symptoms, OSAS being one of the most important factors. In patients with asthma, OSAS should be investigated whenever there is inadequate control of symptoms of nocturnal asthma despite the treatment recommended by guidelines having been administered. There is evidence in the literature that the use of continuous positive airway pressure contributes to asthma control in asthma patients with obstructive sleep apnea and uncontrolled asthma.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in interstate bus drivers. Methods: This study involved 262 professional interstate bus drivers employed by a Brazilian company headquartered in the Federal District. The drivers were evaluated using a questionnaire designed to assess respiratory sleep disorders, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, test of sustained attention, test of divided attention and anthropometric measurements. Results: Body weight was found to be above the ideal in 68% of the drivers evaluated, 34% of which had a neck circumference = 42 cm. During the study period, the drivers reported using tobacco (27%), cola-based soft drinks (55%), alcohol (65%) and coffee (88%). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale score was = 10 points in 28%. Snoring was reported by 36%, sleep apnea by 5%, a sensation of suffocation during sleep by 12%, restless sleep by 29% and drowsiness while driving by 48%. There were 42% who had been involved in transit accidents, 7.6% of which were attributed to hypersomnolence. Those scoring higher than 10 of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale presented lower levels of sustained attention. In addition, a reduction in divided attention was found to correlate with greater daytime sleepiness and larger neck circumference. Conclusion: The rate of stimulant use found in the group of drivers evaluated is alarming. The high prevalence of daytime sleepiness indicates that attentiveness is reduced in this population.

Keywords: Automobile driving; Sleep apnea, obstructive; Work schedule tolerance; Psychometrics; Risk factors; Attention; Questionnaires

Objective: To translate the Quebec Sleep Questionnaire (QSQ), a specific instrument for the assessment of quality of life in patients with sleep obstructive apnea, into Portuguese and to create a version that is cross-culturally adapted for use in Brazil. Methods: The Portuguese-language version was developed according to a rigorous methodology, which included the following steps: preparation; translation from English into Portuguese in three versions; reconciliation to a single version; back-translation of that version into English; comparison and harmonization of the back-translation with the original version; review of the Portuguese-language version; cognitive debriefing; text review; and arrival at the final version. Results: The Portuguese-language version of the QSQ for use in Brazil had a clarity score, as measured by cognitive debriefing, ranging from 0.81 to 0.99, demonstrating the consistency of translation and cross-cultural adaptation processes. Conclusions: The process of translating the QSQ into Portuguese and creating a version that is cross-culturally adapted for use in Brazil produced a valid instrument to assess the quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea, Quality of life; Translations; Validation studies.

A apneia obstrutiva do sono (AOS) é caracterizada por obstruções recorrentes das vias aéreas superiores durante o sono que ocorrem no nível da faringe. Apesar de a análise cefalométrica ser um importante método no diagnóstico das deformidades craniofaciais, a TC e a ressonância magnética vêm se destacando como os principais métodos de imagem para a investigação das eventuais causas da AOS que, na maioria das vezes, é multifatorial. Esses métodos permitem uma excelente avaliação nos diversos planos anatômicos do eventual sítio da obstrução, o que permite uma melhor avaliação clínica e abordagem cirúrgica. O presente ensaio pictórico tem como objetivo descrever os aspectos que devem ser avaliados no diagnóstico por imagem dos principais fatores predisponentes para a AOS.

Keywords: Síndromes da apneia do sono; Imagem por ressonância magnética; Tomografia computadorizada por raios X.

Background: Nasal and pharyngeal symptoms are common in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, these symptoms are common in OSA patients even before the treatment. Objectives: Determine the impact of nasal CPAP on nasal and pharyngeal symptoms in OSA patients. Method: Thirty-five adult patients (28 males), age 54±10 years old, with OSA diagnosed by polissonography. All patients answered to a questionnaire about the presence and quantification of sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal pruritus, obstruction and bleeding, nasal and pharyngeal dryness. The questionnaire was answered before and after at least three months of CPAP therapy. Results: The apnea-hypopnea index was 50±25 events per hour. Twenty six patients (74%) presented at least one naso-pharingeal symptom before treatment. Nasal obstruction was the most common symptom, being referred by 18 patients (51%). Among the patients that were initially assymptomatic (n=9), 78% developed adverse nasal reactions to CPAP. In contrast, among the patients that presented nasal symptoms before treatment, there was a significant reduction in nasal obstruction, nasal and throat dryness scores as well as nasal bleeding after CPAP therapy. Conclusions: Nasal na pharyngeal symptoms are frequent in OSAS patients. CPAP therapy may originate nasal symptoms in patients previously assymptomatic, as well as reduce the intensity of these symptoms in patients that are previously symptomatic.

Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Nasal obstruction. Continuous positive airway pressure, compliance.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common clinical condition, with a variable and underestimated prevalence. OSA is the main condition associated with secondary systemic arterial hypertension, as well as with atrial fibrillation, stroke, and coronary artery disease, greatly increasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure is not tolerated by all OSA patients and is often not suitable in cases of mild OSA. Hence, alternative methods to treat OSA and its cardiovascular consequences are needed. In OSA patients, regular physical exercise has beneficial effects other than weight loss, although the mechanisms of those effects remain unclear. In this population, physiological adaptations due to physical exercise include increases in upper airway dilator muscle tone and in slow-wave sleep time; and decreases in fluid accumulation in the neck, systemic inflammatory response, and body weight. The major benefits of exercise programs for OSA patients include reducing the severity of the condition and daytime sleepiness, as well as increasing sleep efficiency and maximum oxygen consumption. There are few studies that evaluated the role of physical exercise alone for OSA treatment, and their protocols are quite diverse. However, aerobic exercise, alone or combined with resistance training, is a common point among the studies. In this review, the major studies and mechanisms involved in OSA treatment by means of physical exercise are presented. In addition to systemic clinical benefits provided by physical exercise, OSA patients involved in a regular, predominantly aerobic, exercise program have shown a reduction in disease severity and in daytime sleepiness, as well as an increase in sleep efficiency and in peak oxygen consumption, regardless of weight loss.

Keywords: Exercise therapy; Sleep apnea, obstructive; Cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia (SCA); to investigate the possible correlation between mean annual hemoglobin level and total sleep time with SpO2 < 90%, as well as between mean annual hemoglobin level and total sleep time with SpO2 < 80%; and to investigate the possible correlation between apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and painful crisis. Methods: The study involved 85 patients with SCA. The patients completed a questionnaire, were submitted to polysomnography and underwent clinical evaluation (by a pediatrician and an otolaryngologist). An AHI > 1 was considered indicative of a diagnosis of OSAS. Results: The prevalence of OSAS was 10.6%. We found a negative correlation between mean annual hemoglobin level and total sleep time with SpO2 < 90% (r = −0.343; p = 0.002), as well as between mean annual hemoglobin level and total sleep time with SpO2 < 80% (r = −0.270; p = 0.016). There was no association between AHI and painful crisis. Conclusions: The prevalence of OSAS in this population was high (10.6%). Therefore, it is important to identify signs of OSAS as soon as possible and to determine the mean annual hemoglobin level because of the inverse correlation between that level and the total sleep time with SpO2 < 90% or < 80%.

Keywords: Prevalence; Sleep apnea, obstructive; Anemia, sickle cell; Polysomnography; Sleep apnea syndromes.

Recent years have seen a growing interest in the use of portable monitoring devices for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. These have the potential to be used in lieu of the more complicated and uncomfortable alternative, polysomnography, which has long been considered to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of this relatively prevalent condition. Following their approval in 2008 by the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency which administers Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, there has been extensive discussion about the utility and validity of these devices for use in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Although there are various models of portable monitoring devices, the literature contains little information regarding how each device should be used in specific age groups, patients presenting comorbidities, and asymptomatic patients. Additionally, studies about the cost-effectiveness of this diagnostic method are scarce and conflicting. Therefore, this objective of this study was to review what has been learned about portable monitoring devices over time, as well as to examine the recent progress, advantages, limitations, and applications of these devices in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in different groups of patients.

Keywords: Sleep apnea, obstructive/diagnosis; Polysomnography; Diagnostic equipment; Monitoring, ambulatory.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), as well as to identify factors associated with a greater risk of developing OSAS, among truck drivers. Methods: The study population comprised 209 truck drivers (mean age, 38.8 years; 98.5% males) at two branches of a transportation company. The mean body mass index was 26.5 ± 4.4 kg/m2. The participants completed questionnaires regarding sociodemographic data, physical activity and OSAS. The prevalence of OSAS was estimated using the Berlin Questionnaire, associations between OSAS and the factors studied being assessed through univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of OSAS in the population was 11.5%. Of the 209 truck drivers, 72 (34.5%) reported having fallen asleep while driving and 81 (38.7%) reported snoring. The following variables were found to present statistically significant associations with OSAS: informal employment (OR = 0.27; p = 0.01); body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR = 13.64; p = 0.01); and poor sleep quality (OR = 3.00; p = 0.02). Conclusions: The prevalence of OSAS in this study was lower than that reported in other studies of truck drivers and yet higher that that observed for the general population. In addition, our results suggest that work characteristics, such as employment status, are associated with OSAS. These data show the relevance of considering work activity in studies of factors associated with OSAS.

Keywords: Sleep apnea, obstructive; Sleep disorders; Questionnaires.