Frequency of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis and Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis and Its Association With Clinical Findings.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to assess obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF bronchiectasis (BE) and to relate it with clinical characteristics.

METHODS: Thirty-five CF (27 years) and 35 non-CF (24 years) BE patients were included. Demographic characteristics, medications, comorbidities, BMI, dyspnea scales, pulmonary functions, sputum cultures, exacerbations, and hospitalizations were recorded. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaire was filled and polysomnography was performed for each patient.

RESULTS: ESS scores did not show any significant difference between CF and non-CF BE patients. Thirty-seven (53%) of all patients had OSA. There was no significant difference in OSA risk between CF and non-CF BE patients (54% vs 51%, respectively). Male gender was found to be a risk factor for OSA (68% of males vs 41% of females, respectively, p:0.026). Total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, time spent awake after falling asleep, oxygen desaturation index, apnea-hypopnea-index (AHI), AHI in the supine position, and rapid eye movement phase did not show any significant difference between CF and non-CF patients. CF patients had significantly lower mean oxygen saturation (p:0.001) and lowest oxygen saturation (p:0.0024) levels and higher heart rate (p:0.02) compared to non-CF BE patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis of all patients revealed male gender and disease duration as risk factors for OSA (p:0.023 and p:0.041 respectively).

CONCLUSION: It is remarkable that more than half of the patients in both CF and non-CF bronchiectasis groups had OSA. Male gender and disease duration were found as risk factors for OSA.