Does apnea-hypopnea index alone reflect obstructive sleep apnea severity?

Authors: ÖMER ARAZ, DİDEM PULUR, ELİF YILMAZEL UÇAR, MEHMET MERAL, ALİ METİN GÖRGÜNER, METİN AKGÜN

Abstract: We aimed to assess whether there was a correlation between the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), desaturation time under 90% (DTU-90), and mean saturation (MS) levels and the parameters associated with tissue hypoxia. Materials and methods: A total of 144 subjects were included in the study. Blood C-reactive protein levels, blood uric acid levels, and urine microalbumin levels were measured and the urine uric acid/creatinine ratio and urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio were calculated. Results: Our study results suggest that MS and DTU-90, as well as the AHI, are correlated with the parameters reflecting hypoxemia and the other events secondary to hypoxia. Conclusion: MS and DTU-90 may reflect the severity of disease and may be used in the first evaluation of a patient with suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea before full polysomnography monitorization. Because they were not much better correlated with the parameters than the AHI, it is difficult to make a claim for their use as the only tool, or their replacement of the AHI, in the evaluation of patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea.

Keywords: Sleep apnea, apnea-hypopnea index, desaturation time under 90%, mean saturation, hypoxia, ambulatory monitorization

Full Text: PDF