title: Sleep apnea risk and clinical correlates in patients with bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the high prevalence of risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals with bipolar disorder, the presence of sleep-disordered breathing has not been systematically assessed in this population. In this study, we sought to determine the level of risk for OSA in a population of remitted individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar I disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 72 individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar I disorder, all of whom were overweight by the World Health Organization criteria, completed the Berlin Questionnaire, a self-assessment tool to establish risk for OSA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over half of this study population (54.1%) was found to be in the high-risk category for OSA. Participants at high risk for OSA scored significantly higher on measures of both depression and mania, even when sleep items were not counted in the total scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep apnea may be prevalent in patients with bipolar I disorder. Considering the substantial overlap of symptoms between OSA and depression and the potentially harmful effects of sleep disruption in patients with mood disorders, a systematic screening to assess prevalence and associated features of OSA in patients with bipolar disorder is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. sorecai@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soreca
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levenson
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotz
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kupfer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires