title: Predictors for Progression of Sleep Disordered Breathing among Public Transport Drivers: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes. This study aimed to understand SDB progression and related factors among professional drivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 524 professional male drivers from a transportation company were included in this study. These drivers completed overnight in-home pulse oximetry studies both in 2006 and in 2009. Participants with abnormal results (oxygen desaturation index [ODI] ≥ 10 events/h) comprised the SDB group. Data included questionnaire information on demographics, medical history, SDB symptoms, and anthropometric measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 318 male workers were recruited for further analysis. Fifty of these workers belonged to the SDB group. Workers with untreated SDB significantly progressed to a more severe state after three years. Baseline body mass index (BMI), baseline ODI, and change in BMI were all significant positive predictors of SDB progression (β = 0.823, 0.242, and 1.626; p = 0.047, 0.013, and 0.004, respectively). Compared with non-SDB drivers, SDB subjects showed a greater proportion of newly diagnosed cardiovascular disease (38.0%) at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Untreated SDB was a gradually progressive disorder in professional drivers over a three-year period. Subjects with high BMI and moderate to severe SDB should be closely monitored to allow for early detection of worsening SDB. Weight control should be highlighted in the management of SDB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 409.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Otolaryngology, Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Safety and Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Labor, Executive Yuan, New Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tung-Sheng
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Saou-Hsing
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Labor, Executive Yuan, New Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Hsiu
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Health Risk Management, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzu-Chieh
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010092:Oximetry; D012307:Risk Factors; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: body mass index; longitudinal study; oxygen desaturation index; predictors; professional drivers; progression; sleep disordered breathing