Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in the French overall population, and more specifically in males and obeses, but limited data are available in elderly despite their increasing proportion.
Aims and objectives : describe clinical aspects and long term treatment of OSA (continuous positive airway pressure ventilation) in apneic subjects over 75 years old and compare these data with apneic patients under 60 years old.
Methods : retrospective, descriptive monocenter study over a 6 months period. All patients underwent a respiratory polygraphy at the time of diagnosis and after 6 months of treatment.
Results : 73 patients were included, 35 in the study arm and 38 in the control arm. Cardiovascular (82,9% vs 63,2%, p=0,037), neurological (37,&% vs 15,8%, p=0,026) and urological (76,7% vs 23,3%, p=0,0001) comorbidities are significantly higher identified in the study arm. The sleep quality, the fatigue symtom and the apnea-hypopnea index (2,8 vs 6,5, p < 0,05) were significantly improved in the control arm. The 6 months follow up evaluation pointed out a poorer adherence of continuous positive airway pressure ventilation in the study group (67,6% vs 97,4%, p = 0,001).
Conclusion : in our center, clinical presentation of OSA in elderly and its treatment are clearly different compared with a "standard" cohort of patients under 60 years old. Continuous positive airway pressure ventilation remains the only validated treatment for the elderly patients but the 6 months adherence is poorer.
- © 2014 ERS