Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A Global Comparison of Anatomic Risk Factors and Their Relationship to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity in Clinical Samples.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a global health issue and is associated with obesity and oropharyngeal crowding. Global data are limited on the effect of ethnicity and sex on these relationships. We compare associations between the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and these risk factors across ethnicities and sexes within sleep clinics. ⋯ We demonstrate ethnic and sex variations in associations between obesity and OSA. For similar BMI increases, South American patients show greatest AHI increases compared to African Americans. Findings highlight the importance of considering ethnicity and sex in clinical assessments of OSA risk.