A hospital based study to assess risk of obstructive sleep apnea in a population visiting dental out patient department

Abstract

Studies focusing on subjective assessment of risk of obstructive sleep apnea in general population are sparse. The purpose of this cross- sectional study was to assess the risk of obstructive sleep apnea in a population visiting dental Out Patient Department. Three hundred consenting participants between the age group of 18-65yrs reporting to the dental OPD were enrolled in the study. Polysomnography is the gold standard of diagnosis of OSA, however, due to cost and elaborate procedure other methods of diagnosis and risk assessment were used as tools. STOP BANG questionnaire was evaluated for the participants and grouping was done into high, moderate and low-risk OSA patients. Anthropometric patient measurements, including Body Mass Index (BMI), age, neck circumference and gender, were recorded. Blood pressure was assessed by a digital blood pressure instrument to check the systolic and diastolic levels. Data was collected and statistically analyzed. The BMI for males was 24.5±3.9, and for females, it was 24.5±4.6. The mean neck circumference in males was higher (14.4±1.2) compared with females (13.1±1.4). 4.1% of males had a high risk of neck circumference, whereas 3.7% of females had a high risk. 16.1% of males reported hypertensive systole compared with 8.2% of females and 23.9% of males reported hypertensive diastole compared with 18% of females. Risk assessment of OSA based on STOP-BANG scoring revealed that 63.6% of the total study population were at low risk of developing OSA, 32% at high risk and, 4.4% of the study population at very high risk of developing OSA. Males were at higher risk than females. OSA has a high prevalence and a higher tendency to remain underdiagnosed due to a lack of awareness amongst the population as well as dental and healthcare professionals. There can be an essential role of a dentist in identifying the risk factors of OSA and referring those patients to sleep, specialists. In the long run, the dentists' early diagnosis of OSA patients may prevent OSA complications and aid in managing the condition.