What can anthropometric measurements tell us about obstructive sleep apnoea?

Clinical detection of anatomic narrowing of the upper airway may facilitate early recognition of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The aim of this study was to investigate whether anthropometric measurement can be used to predict OSA.

One hundred forty-seven subject were included from those patients who were referred to our sleep laboratory with suspected sleep apnoea. All patients were divided two groups with respect to the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI). The first group was diagnosed as OSA, AHI greater than 5. The second group was not diagnosed with OSA, AHI less than 5 (non-OSA control). Anthropometric measurements such as lower face height (LFH), interincisial distance, nose height, anterior neck height (ANH), lateral neck height, posterior neck height (PNH), ramus mandible height, corpus mandible height (CML), bigonial distance (BGD), neck width, and neck depth were assessed.

Patients with OSA had higher body mass index (BMI) and larger LFH, ANH, thyromental distance, CML, BGD, and neck circumference than those without OSA (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.023, p < 0.0001, respectively). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of other parameters.

In this study, it was determined that BMI, lower face height, neck height, mandible length, bigonial width, thyromental distance and neck circumference are in significant relationship with sleep disordered breathing. Thus, these measurements may be used in clinical practice for prediction of OSA.