PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - S. Marti
AU  - G. Sampol
AU  - X. Muñoz
AU  - F. Torres
AU  - A. Roca
AU  - P. Lloberes
AU  - T. Sagalés
AU  - P. Quesada
AU  - F. Morell
TI  - Mortality in severe sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome patients: impact of treatment
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.02.00306502
DP  - 2002 Dec 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1511--1518
VI  - 20
IP  - 6
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/20/6/1511.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/20/6/1511.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2002 Dec 01; 20
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine mortality in patients with sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) according to the treatments employed and comorbidity. An historical cohort of patients with SAHS diagnosed at a university hospital between 1982 and 1992 and followed until 1996 was studied. From a total of 475 SAHS patients, 444 (94%), with a mean±sd apnoea/hypopnoea index at diagnosis of 55±27, were located and included in the study. SAHS treatments employed were: surgery (88), weight loss (134), continuous positive airway pressure (124) and 98 patients were not treated. By the end of follow-up, 49 patients had died. According to Cox regression analysis, mortality in treated patients was lower than in those not treated, but higher in those with a history of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mortality in nontreated patients compared with that of the general population, adjusted for age and sex, showed excessive mortality, which decreased in treated patients. Stratification by age showed a greater mortality rate ratio in patients &amp;lt;50 yrs. These findings were maintained when mortality from cardiovascular causes was compared. In conclusion, a rise in mortality was found in nontreated sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome patients compared with the general population, whereas mortality in those treated for sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome did not differ significantly from that of the general population. This study was financed in part by a grant from Agència d&#039;Avaluació de Tecnologia Mèdica (Servei Català de la Salut).