Sleep-disordered breathing in the healthy elderly; Clinically significant?

B. A. Phillips, D. T.R. Berry, F. A. Schmitt, L. K. Magan, D. C. Gerhardstein, Y. R. Cook

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

We evaluated sleep/wake, medical, and psychological parameters in a cohort of healthy men and women between 50 and 80 years of age. Consistent with previous investigations of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in older persons, nocturnal breathing disturbances were quite common in our normal-aged subjects, with more than 15 percent experiencing five or more SDB events per hour of sleep. However, when SDB indices were correlated with comprehensive measures of daytime functioning, the number of statistically significant relationships was at or below expectations from chance alone. Additionally, comparison of high-SDB subjects (AHI ≥5) with low-SDB subjects (AHI <5) failed to reveal reliable differences on measures of daytime functioning. We conclude that SDB occurring in otherwise healthy older persons is not a cause for immediate concern, although longitudinal studies may yet demonstrate significant long-term sequelae of SDB in this population.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)345-349
Number of pages5
JournalChest
Volume101
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1992

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Supported by the American Lung Association of Kentucky (D.T.R.B.), National Institutes of Health Heart, Lung and Blood Division (B.A.P), National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center Grant, Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (D.T.R.B.), and the National Institute on Aging—Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (F.A.S.).

Funding

Supported by the American Lung Association of Kentucky (D.T.R.B.), National Institutes of Health Heart, Lung and Blood Division (B.A.P), National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center Grant, Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (D.T.R.B.), and the National Institute on Aging—Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (F.A.S.).

FundersFunder number
National Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health Heart, Lung and Blood Division
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
American Lung Association of Kentucky
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Emory University
Sanders-Brown Center on Aging

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
    • Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
    • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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