Correlation between body mass index and apnea-hypopnea index, and the Epworth sleepiness scale: An epidemiological study on sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder leading to the disruption of breathing and sleeping. Body mass index (BMI) and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) are frequent measures used to evaluate the severity of OSA. The present study investigated the correlation between body mass and apnea-hypopnea indices using the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). The present study included 150 participants who had undergone a sleep assessment. The collected data included age, BMI, ESS scores and AHI. The ESS ranged from 0 to 24, with a score >10 indicating abnormal levels of daytime sleepiness. A BMI >25 kg/m2 was regarded as overweight. The sex distribution was equal and the age ranged from 18 to 79 years in males, and 31 to 82 years in females. A statistical variation was observed between the age (P=0.001) and BMI (P<0.001) of males and females, whereas the ESS was found to be comparable in both groups. No association was found between ESS and AHI in females (P=0.834); however, a correlation was found in males (P=0.001). When the information of both sexes was assessed collectively (P=0.003), a significant association was discovered between BMI and AHI in both sexes and also in the combined data of both sexes (P=0.016). The data of the present study demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between BMI and AHI, indicating that the severity of sleep apnea worsens with higher BMI levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]