Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is common in subjects with chronic bronchitis. Report from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden studies.
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.
Larsson
L G
LG
Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Sunderby Central Hospital of Norrbotten, Luleå, Sweden. lars-gunnar.larsson@nll.se
Lindberg
A
A
Franklin
K A
KA
Lundbäck
B
B
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