PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jonathan Gauci
AU  - Matthew Zammit
AU  - Luca Andrea Borg
AU  - Ayrton Borg Axisa
AU  - Peter Cassar
AU  - Matthew Farrugia
AU  - Rachel Gambin
AU  - Michael Micallef
AU  - Nicole Zammit
AU  - Josef Micallef
TI  - Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in Malta
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2019.PA4414
DP  - 2019 Sep 28
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA4414
VI  - 54
IP  - suppl 63
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/suppl_63/PA4414.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/suppl_63/PA4414.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2019 Sep 28; 54
AB  - Introduction: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSAS) refers to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (defined as Apnoea/Hypopnoea Index > 5) associated with daytime somnolence (defined as Epworth Sleepiness Score, ESS > 9). The authors aimed to screen a cohort of subjects for OSAS in order to estimate its prevalence in Malta, which was previously not described in the literature.Methods: The authors interviewed a random cohort of 284 relatives attending Mater Dei Hospital Outpatients. Patients were not included, to reduce bias. Relatives aged between 40 and 70 years were interviewed, with no gender or weight preference. The ESS and Berlin Questionnaire were utilised in each interview. Those who had a ESS >9 were offered a sleep study and followed-up.Results: 235 subjects had a normal ESS and an additional 2 individuals had a normal ESS but were receiving treatment for previously diagnosed OSAS. From the 47 subjects who had a ESS >9, 28 declined the sleep study, 15 were newly diagnosed with OSAS and 4 had a normal sleep study.The prevalence of OSAS in the study cohort (excluding those who declined the sleep study) was 6.64%, including 52.9% mild, 17.7% moderate, and 29.4% severe. The M:F ratio was 1.4:1. Of those diagnosed with OSAS, 41.2% were overweight and 47.1% were obese. The most common co-morbidity was hypertension (41.2%).Conclusion: The prevalence of OSAS is relatively high and may be underestimated since symptomatic patients often decline a sleep study, even outside the context of research. Obesity and hypertension were particularly common in OSAS subjects. Screening may aid the diagnosis of OSAS.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA4414.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).