title: Prevalence of sleep related symptoms in four Latin American cities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to estimate the prevalence of the most common sleep related symptoms (SRS) in the metropolitan areas of Mexico City, Montevideo (Uruguay), Santiago (Chile), and Caracas (Venezuela).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study consisted of a multistage cluster sampling of adults aged > or = 40 years living in metropolitan areas. All participants completed a questionnaire on sleep related symptoms. Simplified respiratory polygraphy during sleep was conducted on 188 subjects from Mexico City. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was defined as Epworth Sleepiness Scale score > or = 11 and respiratory disturbance index (RDI) > or = 15 events/h; a cut-off of 15 was chosen because of its high sensitivity and specificity in association with the portable monitor used in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 4,533 subjects (1,062 in Mexico City, 941 in Montevideo, 1,173 in Santiago, and 1,357 in Caracas). Snoring was reported by 60.2% (95% CI 58.8% to 61.6%), excessive daytime sleepiness by 16.4% (15.3% to 17.5%), observed apneas by 12.3% (11.4% to 13.3%), insomnia by 34.7% (33.3% to 36%), sedative use by 15.1% (14.1% to 16.2%), daytime napping by 29.2% (27.7% to 30.6%), and a combination of snoring, sleepiness, and observed apneas by 3.4% (2.9% to 4%). Men had a higher frequency of snoring and daytime napping, whereas women reported more insomnia and sedative use. Prevalence of OSAS varied from 2.9% among subjects who denied snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, and observed apneas, to 23.5% among those reporting these 3 symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high prevalence of sleep related symptoms and undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea in Latin America was observed.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Tlalpan, México, DF.
authors.forename: Luis Torre
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Bouscoulet
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vázquez-García
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muiño
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Márquez
authors.forename: Maria Victorina
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Maria Montes
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: de Oca
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Talamo
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valdivia
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pertuze
authors.forename: Ana Maria B
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez-Padilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D017286:Polysomnography; D015995:Prevalence; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D020919:Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014583:Uruguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology