Association Between Oral Function and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Elderly Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Home...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among elderly individuals and is associated with various systemic diseases. While obesity and craniofacial morphology are established risk factors, age-related decline in oral and pharyngeal muscle function may also contribute to OSA development in older adults. However, the relationship between OSA and oral function in elderly patients remains insufficiently investigated.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 40 patients aged ≥ 65 years who visited the Perioperative Oral Management Clinic at Kansai Medical University Medical Center between September 2023 and May 2025. OSA was screened using a home sleep apnea test (HSAT), and a respiratory event index (REI) ≥ 15 events/h was defined as OSA. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, oropharyngeal findings, cephalometric parameters, oral function indicators (tongue pressure, maximum bite force, and masticatory performance), and systemic indicators (grip strength and serum creatinine) were evaluated.

OSA was identified in 22 participants (55%), and 86.4% of these cases were previously unrecognized. Patients with OSA were significantly older than those without OSA. Male sex, alcohol consumption, higher Mallampati classification, use of sleep medications, longer sleep duration, higher nocturnal urination frequency, and higher serum creatinine levels tended to be associated with OSA. Among oral functional parameters, decreased tongue pressure showed the highest odds ratio, suggesting a possible association with OSA in elderly individuals. Cephalometric skeletal factors were not significantly associated with OSA.

These preliminary findings suggest that reduced oral function may be related to HSAT-detected OSA in elderly patients, although the observed associations were largely non-significant and causal relationships cannot be inferred.