Sleep Study of Patients with Snoring, Tripoli, Libya

الملخص

Snoring is a respiratory sound occurs during sleep and is caused by vibration of soft tissue of pharynx, soft plate
and sometimes even uvula. The aim of this study is to look for how common is sleep apnea in patients with snoring.
Among patients presented with snoring and sent for sleep study, the primary snoring with normal apnea hypoapnea
index (AHI) was 17.5% of cases, while patients with Sleep Apnea was 82.5% of all cases. Sleep disordered breathing
in patients with sleep apnea mainly due to obstructive sleep apnea was 78% of patients, while obesity hypoventilation
syndrome was 12%, and Cheyne Stokes respiration /central sleep apnea, 10% of patients. Female patients with
obstructive sleep apnea, 65%, while males, 35%, with female to male ratio of 1.9 : 1.0. Female mean age is 66 years
and male mean age is 56 years.
In patients with obstructive Sleep Apnea and co-morbidities, obesity was present in 82%, hypertension in 62%,
diabetes mellitus in 47%, while both DM and hypertension were present in 39%, and asthma or COPD i.e. overlap
syndrome present in about 14% of the patients.
It is highly recommended that sleep disorders breathing especially obstructive sleep apnea preferred to be one of
topics should be included in the Faculty of Medicine Curriculum.