Prevalence of very severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome from symptomatic patients

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is a prevalent pathology. It has been described very severe OSA (vsOSA) with apneas/hipopneas index (AHI)≥60. Nevertheless, their prevalence remains unclear. Aims: To report vsOSA prevalence from a large cohort of patients referrs to the sleep unit. Methods: Retrospective analysis from patients studied by symptoms or OSA suspicion between 2009-2018. All patients performed a home respiratory polygraphy (RP) and questionnaires (STOPBANG and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Patients were gruped by AHI severity: vsOSA:≥60; severe (sOSA): Results: We included 3464 patients with OSA from 5719 studied. Prevalence of vsOSA was 5.6% (n:196, 5 of them with AHI≥100). This group of patients were younger than sOSA, mOSA and mild OSA (50.8±13.3 vs 57.1±13.1, 56.4±13.2, 53.9±14.3 years old; p 40cm of neck diameter were higher in patients with vsOSA (85.7 vs 75.5, 66.5, 52.3; p Conclusions: vsOSA represent a risk group with prevalence 5.6% of patients with OSA.vsOSA has greater risk of mortality than other patients with OSA lees severe (Jurcevic D, et al. Chest J 2012;142:1075A-A). In according with previuos reports we find that vsOSA patients were younger and obese (Rey de Castro J, et al. Sleep Sci 2015;8(1):31-5).