title: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is common in subjects with chronic bronchitis. Report from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In previous studies we have found that subjects with bronchitis have a higher prevalence of 'snoring as a problem' than respiratory healthy subjects.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to study whether the high prevalence of snoring among subjects with bronchitis also represents a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects in three age groups born 1919-1920, 1934-1935 and 1949-1950 had been identified as bronchitic in an earlier study (n = 471) and without respiratory symptoms (n = 108). Of the 91 subjects reporting snoring to be a problem, 70 were invited to participate in the study. Sleep investigation was performed in 52 of these 70 subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  'Snoring as a problem', predicted OSA to a similar degree in both bronchitic and respiratory healthy subjects. The estimated prevalence for obstructive sleep apnoea with an apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) 10 as the cut-off point and concomitant daytime symptoms such as daytime sleepiness or liability to nodding off during breaks in activity in the daytime, was 5.4% for bronchitic subjects and 2.3% for respiratory healthy subjects. Apnoea in addition to snoring predicted OSA better than did snoring alone. Age correlated significantly with AHI, and OSA was most common in the middle-aged group, 61-62 years old.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OSA is twice as common in subjects with chronic bronchitis as in subjects free of pulmonary disease or symptoms.
authors: Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Sunderby Central Hospital of Norrbotten, Luleå, Sweden. lars-gunnar.larsson@nll.se
authors: L G
authors: LG
authors: Larsson
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Lindberg
authors: K A
authors: KA
authors: Franklin
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Lundbäck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000150:complications*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications