title: Obstructive sleep apnea symptoms beyond sleepiness and snoring: effects of nasal APAP therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and assess the response to nasal automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) therapy of less typical symptoms in patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), like fatigue, gasping, nocturia, nocturnal sweating, morning headaches, heartburn, and erectile dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-eight male patients with moderate to severe OSA were included in the study (n = 98). In the beginning of the study, an overnight sleep study was performed to all subjects using a five-channel recording device. Patients started APAP therapy with pre-determined minimum and maximum pressures of 4 and 15 cmH(2)0, respectively. The total Sleep Disorders Questionnaire was answered by all subjects before and 6 months after APAP therapy. Questions 4, 18, 23, 25, 58, 88, and 148 were used in this study. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 17.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects had a mean (SD) age of 55.1 (10.8) years and an average of 52.2 (21.4) apnea-hypopnea events per hour of sleep. At baseline, nocturia was the most prevalent symptom (38%), followed by nocturnal sweating (34%), gasping (30%), erectile dysfunction (25%), fatigue (23%), heartburn (15%), and morning headaches (10%). After 6 months of APAP therapy, a statistically significant reduction on the prevalence of all symptoms was observed, except for erectile dysfunction and morning headaches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that APAP therapy is effective in controlling the majority of OSA symptoms beyond sleepiness and snoring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, São João Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Doutor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ivo A C
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.forename: João C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Winck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012913:Snoring / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*