Objective: To realize the characteristics of clinical symptoms and PSG in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).
Method: The clinical presentations, epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and polysomnography findings were compared between elderly patients with OSAHS and middle age patients with OSAHS.
Result: There were no significantly differences in clinical presentations including snoring, apnea and daytime sleepiness complaint between the elderly and middle aged patients with OSAHS, but the incidences of complications such as hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases was significantly higher in elderly patients than those in the middle aged patients (P<0.01). The sleep architecture disturbance was significantly worse in elderly OSAHS patients compared with the middle age patients. The percentages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage I sleep were significantly increased, the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were significantly decreased in elderly OSAHS patients than those in middle aged group (P<0.01 or P<0.05), but the percentages of awake, NREM stage II sleep and NREM stage II-IV sleep had no significantly difference in the two groups. The apnea hypopnea index (AHI), apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI), snoring index, ESS and body mass index (BMI) were significantly decreased, the lowest oxygen saturation (LSO2) and micro-arousal index were significantly increased in elderly OSAHS patients than those in middle aged group (P<0.01 or P<0.05).
Conclusion: The elderly OSAHS patients are less sever than the middle age, but the elderly patients have worse sleep architecture disturbance and more complications such as hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.