Article

The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence
of undiagnosed or untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients undergoing
cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: : A total of 132 consecutive patients were
screened by Berlin Questionnaire to determine the presence or absence of OSA.
RESULTS: : Fourteen patients did not consent to participate. Of the remaining 118
patients, 20 (17%) were found to have a preexisting formal diagnosis of OSA. Of
the remaining 98 patients (69 males and 29 females), 43 (44%) were found to have
a high probability of OSA as predicted by the Berlin Questionnaire. There was no
significant difference in the prevalence (P < .05) between males (29/69, 42%) and
females (14/29, 48%) who were predicted to have OSA. Similarly, no significant
differences were observed in the ages or body mass index between OSA and non-OSA
patients. A significantly greater frequency (P < .05) of coronary artery disease
was observed in the OSA group than in the non-OSA group. CONCLUSIONS: : Overall,
the rate of preexisting and predicted OSA (53%) suggests a high prevalence of OSA
in patients with cardiovascular diseases in a cardiac rehabilitation setting.
Moreover, the high rate of undiagnosed OSA, as suggested by the Berlin
Questionnaire, further adds to the growing literature that a large number of
patients with significant cardiovascular disease carry the burden of sleep
disordered breathing.

Langue : ANGLAIS

Tiré à part : OUI