Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Oxygenation in Very Old Adults: A Propensity-Score Match Study

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) escalates with advancing age. Although the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is the standard measure for assessing OSA severity, it does not account for additional oximetric parameters that may influence disease progression in older adults. This study aimed to evaluate disparities in respiratory polygraphy/polysomnography parameters among patients with OSA, stratified by age and sex.

Retrospective propensity score-matched study.

Sleep unit of a university hospital; 11,747 participants, 210 aged 80 years or older.

Propensity score matching was used to establish 4 age cohorts, with the 210 oldest adults serving as the reference group. Primary outcome variables included the total sleep time with oxygen saturation (SaO₂) below 90% (T90), average SaO₂, minimum SaO₂, and AHI. The association between T90 and AHI, as well as the severity of OSA, was assessed across the 4 age categories.

Despite comparable AHI scores, the oldest patients with OSA exhibited the highest T90 and the lowest SaO₂ levels compared to younger counterparts. The proportion of patients with severe OSA and T90 in the highest quartile increased with age: 12.5% in young adults, 14.8% in adults, 21.7% in the old, and 34% in the very old participants (P < .001). old and very old patients had a greater likelihood of being in the most severe OSA category compared to the younger ones, with odds ratios (OR) 2.57 (95% CI 1.42-4.65) and 5.52 (95% CI 3.06-9.97), respectively. These patterns were more pronounced in women of advanced age, indicating a sex-specific variation in disease severity with increasing age.

Old patients with OSA, particularly women, demonstrate elevated T90 and reduced SaO₂ levels, irrespective of AHI, indicating a hypoxemia increased risk. The diagnostic criteria, management, and outcomes for OSA may require adaptations to address the unique needs of very old populations.