title: Predictors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk among Blacks with Metabolic Syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identification of risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is important to enable comprehensive intervention to reduce OSA-related cardiovascular disease (CVD). The metabolic syndrome outcome study (MetSO) provides a unique opportunity to address these factors. This study investigated risk of OSA among blacks with metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study utilized data from MetSO, an NIH-funded cohort study of blacks with metabolic syndrome. A total of 1,035 patients provided data for the analysis. These included sociodemographic factors, health risks, and medical history. Physician-diagnosed conditions were obtained using an electronic medical record system (Allscripts, Sunrise Enterprise). Patients were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome using criteria articulated in the joint interim statement for harmonizing the metabolic syndrome. Patients with a score ≥6 on the Apnea Risk Evaluation System (ARES) questionnaire were considered at risk for OSA. Obesity is defined by body mass index (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1,035 patients screened in the MetSO cohort, 48.9% were at high risk for OSA. Using multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis, we observed that obesity was the strongest predictor of OSA risk (OR=1.59, 95%CI=1.24-2.04, p<0.0001). This finding remained significant even after adjustment for known covariates including blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and glucose levels (OR=1.44, 95%CI=1.11-1.86, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blacks in the MetSO cohort are at greater OSA risk, relative to the adult population in developed countries. Consistent with previous observations, obesity proved the strongest independent predictor of OSA risk among blacks with metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Center for Healthful Behavior Change (CHBC), Division of Health and Behavior, Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ravenell
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, State University of New York-Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donat
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Hackensack UMC, Hackensack, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sexias
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ogedegbe
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jean-Louis
keywords: Blacks; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Obstructive sleep apnea