Psychiatry Investig.  2017 Sep;14(5):656-661. 10.4306/pi.2017.14.5.656.

Differential Effects of Obesity on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome according to Age

• Lee YJ
• Lee YJ
• Jeong DU

• KMID: 2395489
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.5.656

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of obesity on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) by age in relation to anthropometric measurements.
METHODS
The medical records of 1,110 participants diagnosed with OSAS were analyzed according to age. All participants underwent nocturnal polysomnography and had their body mass index, waist circumference, neck circumference (NC), and waist-to-hip ratio measured.
RESULTS
According to the multiple linear regression analysis model for the natural logarithm of the apnea-hypopnea index treating all four anthropometric measurements and gender as covariates, the final stepwise model accounted for an increasing percentage of the variability in the severity of OSAS as a function of age: 7.0, 9.1, 14.5, and 25.6% for those aged <30, 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59 yrs, respectively. It accounted for a decreased percentage among those 60-69 (20.3%) and 70 yrs or older (3.9%). The correlation between NC and the severity of OSAS linearly increased as a function of age for those aged 30-59 yrs, peaked among those in their 60s, and dramatically decreased thereafter.
CONCLUSION
Middle-aged patients with OSAS were more likely to be obese, as measured by anthropometric measurements, than were younger or older OSAS patients. In particular, the predictive value of NC was significantly lower for younger and older OSAS patients.

Keyword

Obstructive sleep apnea; Body-fat distribution; Body weights and measures; Obesity; Age distribution

MeSH Terms

Age Distribution
Body Mass Index
Body Weights and Measures
Humans
Linear Models
Medical Records
Neck
Obesity*
Polysomnography
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*
Waist Circumference
Waist-Hip Ratio