DESIGN: Two hundred twenty-three adults consecutively referred over 1 month plus 20 consecutive patients diagnosed with CSA.
INTERVENTIONS: NA.
MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Prevalence of complex
sleep apnea syndrome,
OSAHS, and CSA in the 1-month sample was 15%, 84%, and 0.4%, respectively. Patients with complex
sleep apnea syndrome differed in gender from patients with
OSAHS (81% vs 60% men, p < .05) but were otherwise similar in sleep and cardiovascular history. Patients with complex
sleep apnea syndrome had fewer maintenance-
insomnia complaints (32% vs 79%; p < .05) than patients with CSA but were otherwise not significantly different clinically. Diagnostic
apnea-hypopnea index for patients with complex
sleep apnea syndrome,
OSAHS, and CSA was 32.3 +/- 26.8, 20.6 +/- 23.7, and 38.3 +/- 36.2, respectively (p = .005).
Continuous positive airway pressure suppressed obstructive breathing, but residual
apnea-hypopnea index, mostly from
central apneas, remained high in patients with complex
sleep apnea syndrome and CSA (21.7 +/- 18.6 in complex
sleep apnea syndrome, 32.9 +/- 30.8 in CSA vs 2.14 +/- 3.14 in
OSAHS; p < .001).
CONCLUSIONS: