Epworth's sleepiness scale in outpatients with different values of arterial blood pressure.
OBJECTIVE
To compare sleepiness scores of the Epworth scale in patients with different levels of arterial pressure when undergoing outpatient monitoring within the context of clinical evaluation.


METHODS
A total of 157 patients selected for outpatient monitoring of arterial pressure during hypertension evaluation were divided into 3 groups: group 1 - normotensive; group 2 - hypertensive; group 3 - resistant hypertensive. For analysis, values >/=11 were considered as associated with respiratory disturbances during sleep.


RESULTS
Seventeen (10.8%) patients in group 1, 112 (71.3%) in group 2, and 28 (17.8%) in group 3, which was composed of aged, more severely hypertensive individuals, were analyzed. Groups were similar relative to sex and body mass index, but different in relation to systolic and diastolic pressure levels and age. Despite an absolute difference, no statistically significant difference occurred between Epworth scores and in the proportion of patients with values >/=11 (5.9% vs. 18.8% vs. 212.4%; P=0.37). Despite the positive association between degree of sleepiness measured with the scale and the severity of the hypertension, no statistical significance occurred following control by age (p=0.18).


CONCLUSIONS
A positive correlation exists between degree of sleepiness and hypertension severity. The absence of a statistical significance shown in the present study could be due to a beta type of error. Instruments that render this complaint into an objective finding could help in the pursuit of an investigation of respiratory disturbances during sleep in more severely hypertensive patients, and should therefore be studied better.
Gus
Miguel
M
Unidade de Pesquisa, Instituto de Cardiologia do Rio Grande do Sul, Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS, 90620-001, Brazil. mgus@cardiol.br
Silva
Daniel Nunes e
DN
Fernandes
Juliana
J
Cunha
Caroline P
CP
Sant'Anna
Geraldo Druck
GD
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires