Prevalence of obstruction of extrathoracic and intrathoracic airways in patients with arterial hypertension
Fischer, J.; Raschke, F.
Pneumologie 47(Suppl 1): 151-154
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0934-8387 PMID: 8497469 Document Number: 412915
The object of this study was to find out the difference between patients with and without arterial hypertension in respect of oxygen desaturation, obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea. 497 men were examined who had chronic diseases of the respiratory passages and whose average age was mean = 45.9 +/- 11.2 years, the Broca index being 109 +/- 17%. 106 men (age mean = 48.6 yrs, Broca index = 118.4, systolic blood pressure according to Riva-Rocci mean = 154.6 mmHg, diastolic 101.4 mmHg) had arterial hypertension. 391 men (age mean = 45.1 yrs, Broca = 107.1, BP/RRsys mean = 130.5 mmHg, BP/RRdia mean = 82.5 mmHg) had normal blood pressure. Another subdivision was effected according to frequency of oxygen desaturations measured according to frequency of oxygen desaturations measured during 8 hrs sleep (SaO2 > 90%, frequency > 80/8 hrs) and the Broca index (> 120%). 31.1% of the hypertensive and 16.6% of the normotensive patients had more than 80 SaO2 drops/8 hrs to below 90%. 44.7% of obese hypertensives and 37.1% of obese normotensives were suspected of suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea. 45 highly suspicious patients were examined by polysomnography. This was the case with 19.8% of the hypertensives and 6.1% of the normotensives. 78.9% of the hypertensives examined via polysomnography because of suspicion of pulse oximetry and/or obesity had in fact an apnoea index > 10, whereas only 41.2% of the normotensives selected according to the same criteria demonstrated this phenomenon. On the whole, patients suffering from arterial hypertension were at markedly higher risk of obstructive sleep apnoea.