The STOP-Bang Test Is Useful for Predicting the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The STOP-Bang test was used to detect patients at high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We evaluated the usefulness of the STOP-Bang test for predicting the severity of OSA in Japanese patients.

We retrospectively evaluated the patients who performed full polysomnography at the Mihara Medical Association Hospital. We evaluated the correlation between the STOP-Bang score and the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) using Spearman's rank correlation analysis. We then used multivariate analyses to examine the independent risk factor for severe OSA (AHI ≥ 30/hr).

One hundred seven patients were diagnosed as no (n = 5), mild (n = 17), moderate (n = 30), and severe (n = 55) OSA. The median age was 67 years old (range: 35-84), and 73 of the 107 patients were males. The correlation coefficient between the STOP-Bang score and AHI was 0.701 (P < 0.001). A STOP-Bang score ≥ 5 had sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 76.9% for detecting severe OSA. A STOP-Bang score ≥ 5 and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² were the independent risk factor for severe OSA.

The STOP-Bang score correlates with AHI and is useful for predicting OSA severity. Polysomnography should be performed actively for the patients with high STOP-Bang scores.