title: Health-related quality of life in patients with sleep-related breathing disorders: relationship with nocturnal parameters, daytime symptoms and comorbid diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) are frequently encountered health problems in the general population. Habitual snoring and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) constitute most SRBD diagnoses. Although the decrease in quality of life is a well-known entity in SRBD patients, there is not enough data regarding the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms to explain this deterioration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate which parameters were affecting the quality of life in patients with SRBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical Outcome Survey - Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale were used in 135 patients with SRBD (69 patients with OSAHS and 66 patients with habitual snoring), and Charlson comorbidity index was calculated. Acquired data were compared with leading symptoms and polysomnographic findings in these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All SF-36 scores were significantly decreased in SRBD patients. However, there were no significant differences in the SF-36 scores of these patients. Also, no significant correlation was found between the severity of OSAHS and the SF-36 scores. Similarly, none of the polysomnographic parameters was found significantly correlated with SF-36 scores. In contrast, all SF-36 scores were influenced by body mass index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, mean nocturnal saturation and the presence of coexisting diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results of multiple variance analysis, we concluded that the quality of life depends on a number of collaborative factors such as obesity, mean nocturnal saturation, symptoms related to SRBD and the presence of comorbid diseases, rather than only on one independent parameter in the patients with SRBD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Ankara University School of Medicine, Cebeci Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. banu.gulbay@gmail.com
authors.forename: Banu Eriş
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Gülbay
authors.forename: Turan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Acican
authors.forename: Zeynep Pinar
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Onen
authors.forename: Oznur Akkoca
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baççioğlu
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Köse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000503:physiopathology*