Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Cardiovascular Disease Risks among Haitian Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Cardiovascular Health
• Public Health in Developing Countries

Background:

• Sleep apnea is a prevalent disorder, disproportionately affecting Black populations.
• Research on sleep apnea in the Caribbean, particularly Haiti, and developing nations is limited.
• Previous studies focused on Caribbean-born Blacks in Brooklyn, not in their native regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of sleep apnea symptoms among medical students in Haiti.
• To explore the association between sleep apnea symptoms and cardiovascular disease in this population.
• To emphasize the need for increased sleep apnea screening in Haiti.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 373 medical students from a Haitian medical school.
• Participants completed a questionnaire on sleep health and cardiovascular outcomes.
• Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of cardiac disease history.

Main Results:

• High prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (73.7%) and difficulty maintaining sleep (25.3%) reported.
• Snoring was reported by 13.2% of participants.
• Nocturnal breathing pauses were a significant predictor of a history of cardiac disease (OR=14.96).

Conclusions:

• Sleep apnea symptoms are prevalent among Haitian medical students.
• There is a significant link between sleep apnea symptoms and cardiovascular disease in this population.
• Increased screening and early detection of sleep apnea in Haiti are crucial for reducing cardiovascular disease risk.