Morbidity, mortality and sleep-disordered breathing in community dwelling elderly

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sleep Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is prevalent in the elderly.
• The association between SDB and mortality in older populations requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and mortality in a cohort of elderly individuals.
• To identify independent predictors of death in this population.

Main Methods:

• A population-based probability sample of 426 elderly individuals (mean age 72.5 years) was followed for mortality.
• Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to determine independent predictors of death.

Main Results:

• Individuals with 30 or more respiratory disturbances per hour of sleep exhibited significantly shorter survival.
• The respiratory disturbance index (RDI) was not an independent predictor of death.
• Age, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary disease were identified as independent predictors of mortality.

Conclusions:

• While severe SDB may be associated with increased mortality risk in the elderly, it is not an independent predictor.
• Factors secondary to or associated with SDB, such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, may be the primary drivers of increased mortality in this population.