Questionnaire-assessed risk of sleep apnea in inpatients with various endocrine disorders

Abstract

Background: Sleep breathing disorders can be an additional risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disorders in patients with endocrine disorders.Aim: To assess the sleep apnea risk in patients with various endocrine disorders undergoing inpatient treatment.Materials and methods: The sleep apnea risk and the severity of daytime sleepiness were evaluated in 282 inpatients with endocrine disorders based on the following questionnaires: the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the sleep apnea screening questionnaire (SAS), and the Berlin sleep apnea risk questionnaire (BQ). To identify the real prevalence of sleep respiratory disorders in endocrine patients we performed cardio-respiratory monitoring with Watch-PAT200 (“Itamar Medical”, Israel) device in 81 patients.Results: A high sleep apnea risk according to the BQ was detected in 59.9% (160/267) of the patients, according to the SAS in 53.53% (144/269), excessive daytime sleepiness (≥ 11 points) was found in 21.66% (60/277) of the patients with the ESS. Among the patients undergoing cardiorespiratory monitoring, sleep apnea was detected in 84% (68/81), including severe apnea in 38.2% (26/68). The highest sleep apnea risk by BQ and SAS was observed in the patients with type 2 diabetes, acromegaly and hypercortisolism. Excessive daytime sleepiness by the ESS was most noticeable in those with hypercortisolism and thyrotoxicosis.Conclusion: The high risk of sleep apnea in the inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, acromegaly, hypercorticism, and hypothyroidism makes it necessary to include its active screening into the algorithm of their inpatient assessment to rule out any sleep breathing disorder.