Evaluation of five questionnaires for obstructive sleep apnea screening in the elderly

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sleep Medicine
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) poses significant health risks, particularly for the elderly population.
• Early detection of OSA in older adults is crucial for preventing associated complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic performance of five screening tools for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in elderly patients.
• To evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of these tools for identifying OSA in individuals aged 60 and above.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 273 elderly patients suspected of having OSA, diagnosed at a Sleep Medicine Center.
• Computation and comparison of sensitivity, specificity, Area Under the Curve (AUC), and Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR) for five screening tools.
• Evaluation of tool performance at different Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) cut-off points (5, 15, and 30 events/hour).

Main Results:

• The Berlin Questionnaire demonstrated an AUC of 0.670, with varying sensitivity and specificity at different AHI thresholds.
• The GOAL Questionnaire exhibited the highest DOR at AHI cut-off points of 5 and 15 events/hour.
• The Berlin Questionnaire showed the highest DOR at an AHI cut-off point of 30 events/hour.

Conclusions:

• The study suggests that a comprehensive approach utilizing multiple screening questionnaires is beneficial for detecting suspected OSA in elderly patients.
• Promoting the use of these validated screening tools among the elderly population can facilitate timely diagnosis and intervention for OSA.