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Published on: December 6, 2016
Five-year longitudinal changes in oxygen saturation parameters in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: Impact of age, body mass
Timothy P Howarth1, Tuomas Karhu2, Timo Leppänen3
1Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Darwin Respiratory and Sleep Health, Darwin Private Hospital, Darwin, Australia; Diagnostic Imaging Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Faculty of Health, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
Background:
Novel oxygen saturation (SpO2) parameters may provide additional insights into obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) severity estimation beyond the apnoea-hypopnoea index. This study examined longitudinal changes in SpO2 parameters and associations with demographic and clinical factors.
Methods:
1941 Sleep Heart Health Study participants were analysed at two time points, five years apart. SpO2 parameters were derived from nocturnal oximetry and assessed in relation to age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and comorbidities.
Results:
Significant changes were observed in most SpO2 parameters over the 5-year period. Resaturation parameters showed greater changes compared to desaturation parameters. Initial age had the strongest influence on the magnitude of change; desaturation and resaturation rates decreased (-13.28% (95% confidence interval (CI) -17.75, -8.81) & -11.8% (95% CI -15.34, -8.26) for age >70 vs. <50 years) while durations increased (7.72% (95% CI 3.23, 12.21) & 11.11% (95% CI 6.99, 15.22)). Obese participants showed larger decreases in resaturation height (-3.27% (95% CI -4.47, -2.08)) and post-event SpO2 values (-0.2% (95% CI -0.27, -0.14)) compared to normal-weight participants. Males compared to females showed greater relative reduction in desaturation (-5.68% (95% CI -8.47, -2,89)) and resaturation rates (-3.26% (95% CI -5.49, -1.03)). Comorbidities had minor effects on the rate of change in oxygen saturation parameters.
Conclusions:
Resaturation parameters are more susceptible to change over time than desaturation parameters in OSA patients. These findings highlight the importance of considering resaturation dynamics when assessing OSA progression, with sex, age and BMI as key factors in the evolution of nocturnal SpO2 patterns.
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