Handedness and sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Neurology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Left-handedness is linked to increased mortality, with factors like smoking and alcohol use implicated.
• Patients with sleep apnea also exhibit higher mortality rates compared to non-apneic individuals.
• Shared risk factors suggest a potential connection between left-handedness and sleep apnea severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of left-handedness in patients with suspected sleep apnea.
• To determine if left-handed individuals with sleep apnea experience a more severe form of the disorder.
• To explore the relationship between sinistrality and sleep apnea severity.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 970 patients referred to a sleep disorders center.
• Nocturnal polysomnography was performed to assess sleep apnea severity, including the respiratory disturbance index (RDI).
• Handedness, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, age, smoking history, and body mass index were recorded.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of left-handedness in the sleep apnea cohort was similar to the general population.
• Left-handed patients with sleep apnea demonstrated a significantly higher respiratory disturbance index (RDI) compared to right-handed patients (52 vs. 38).
• A greater proportion of left-handed patients (41%) fell into the highest RDI quartile, indicating more severe apnea.

Conclusions:

• Left-handedness is associated with more severe sleep apnea, characterized by a higher respiratory disturbance index.
• This association may contribute to the observed higher mortality rates among left-handed individuals.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this link.