Introduction: Results of earlier population and clinical studies confirmed relationship between stroke and obstructive sleep apnea. Our previous study on epidemiology of sleep-disordered breathing in Warsaw based on 676 subjects, mean age 56.6 ± 8.2 years, confirmed OSA in 76 subjects (11.3%) mean apnea hypopnea index (AHI) — 25.3 ± 16.1 revealed low incidence of stroke in OSA group (2 pts; 2.6%) and in subjects without OSA (20 pts; 3.4%). The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of stroke in newly diagnosed OSA subjects qualified to CPAP therapy.
Material and methods: We studied 342 consecutive pts (263 males and 79 females) - mean age - 55.4 ± 10.1 years with severe disease - AHI 39.7 ± 22.5 and obesity - body mass index 35 ± 6.6. History of stroke was confirmed in 16 pts before continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) introduction (4.7%) - group 1. Group 2 (without history of stroke) comprised of 326 pts (95.3%).
Results: Multiple linear regression analysis revealed significant correlation between stroke and time spent in desaturation below 90% during polysomnografhy - T90 (β = -0.22, p = 0.009), diabetes (b = 0.16, p = 0.006), Epworth sleepiness score (β = 0.14, p = 0.02) and coronary artery disease (b = 0.14, p = 0.03).
Conclusions: Stroke in OSA pts before CPAP treatment was related to overnight and daytime oxygenation, diabetes, daytime sleepiness and coronary artery disease. Incidence of stroke in our group was low (4.7%) and similar to previous data from population study.
Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2010; 78, 2: 121-125