The prevalence of and risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in an elderly Korean population

There are just a few epidemiological studies on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in the elderly, and the results are inconsistent.

We sought to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for SDB in a representative elderly population with the use of attended nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG).

Among 6,959 individuals aged ≥ 60 years living in Yongin City, Korea, 696 subjects were selected using random sampling. All the subjects were invited to visit a hospital for NPSG, and SDB was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 15.

Of the 696 participants investigated, 348 participants completed the sleep study and clinical evaluation. SDB was observed in 127 of the 348 participants, and the prevalence of SDB was 36.5% (52.6% in males and 26.3% in females). A body mass index ≥ 25 was associated with SDB in both male and female subjects, particularly in males, whereas snoring was independently associated with SDB in female participants only. In male participants, SDB was a significant risk factor for hypertension (p = 0.025).

SDB was found to be common among elderly Koreans, and it was more prevalent and severe in male than in female subjects. Health consequences of SDB in the elderly need to be further explored.