title: Body mass index and obstructive sleep apnoea in the UK: a cross-sectional study of the over-50s.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing prevalence of obesity in the UK has also seen a rise in the diagnosis of co-morbidities. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has previously been associated with body mass index (BMI) but has not been fully explored in a UK population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the association between BMI and a recorded diagnosis of OSA in primary care for people aged 50 years or over in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive analysis is given of men and women aged 50 or over in the UK from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database with regard to diagnosis of OSA, snoring, and BMI. Logistic regression was performed for the likelihood of OSA depending on BMI classification recorded after adjusting for gender, age, region, and socioeconomic status (Townsend quintile). The analyses were repeated for snoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for confounders, those with a BMI recorded of 40+ kg/m2 were 27.39 times (95% CI 24.64 to 30.46) more likely to have OSA (p<0.0001). There was a lower prevalence of OSA with increasing age and levels of deprivation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity and snoring were both strongly associated with a diagnosis of OSA. The decreasing prevalence of OSA with increasing age and levels of deprivation needs further study to ensure that these groups are not being systematically under-investigated.
authors: NHS Improvement, St John's House, East Street, Leicester, UK. hannah.health@gmail.com
authors: Hannah
authors: H
authors: Wall
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Smith
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Hubbard
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology