Obstructive sleep apnea characteristics in patients with well-controlled acromegaly and their compliance with positive airway pressure therapy

Background/aim: Acromegaly is often associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) with a frequency between 40% and 80%. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical and polysomnographic characteristics of acromegaly patients with sleep apnea symptoms and to identify positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence in acromegaly patients with OSAS diagnosis.Materials and methods: Twenty-eight well-controlled acromegaly patients (17 males, mean age 48.7 ± 10.1 years) with sleep apnea symptoms were included in this prospective study. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, and medical history were evaluated. Full-night in-laboratory polysomnography was performed.Results: Polysomnography results showed that 25 patients (89.3%) had OSAS with a mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 37.7 ± 28.8/h. All 17 male patients were diagnosed with OSAS, whereas 8 female patients (72.7%) had OSAS (P = 0.05). Male patients also had more severe OSAS than females (AHI 48.3 ± 29.0 vs. 21.3 ± 20.1 events/h, respectively; P = 0.012). Twenty-two patients out of 28 were considered to be eligible candidates for PAP therapy. The PAP adherence rate was found to be 50% during follow-up. Conclusion: Our results confirm OSAS as a common disorder in acromegaly patients as well as PAP therapy being required for a majority of patients. Therefore, all acromegaly patients should be assessed in terms of OSAS and be followed closely for the evaluation of PAP adherence.