Obstructive sleep apnea in postmenopausal women: a comparative study using drug induced sleep endoscopy

Pathophysiology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Aging Women

The following review is designed to explore the pathophysiology of sleep apnea in aging women. The review initially introduces four endotypes (i.e., a more collapsible airway, upper airway muscle responsiveness, arousal threshold, and loop gain) that may have a role in the initiation of obstructive sleep apnea. Thereafter, sex differences in the prevalence of sleep apnea are considered along with differences in the prevalence that exist between younger and older women. Following this discussion, we consider how each endotype might contribute to the increase in prevalence of sleep apnea in aging women. Lastly, we address how modifications in one form of respiratory plasticity, long-term facilitation, that might serve to mitigate apneic events in younger women may be modified in aging women with obstructive sleep apnea. Overall, the published literature indicates that the prevalence of sleep apnea is increased in aging women. This increase is linked primarily to a more collapsible airway and possibly to reduced responsiveness of upper airway muscle activity. In contrast, modifications in loop gain or the arousal threshold do not appear to have a role in the increased prevalence of sleep apnea in aging women. Moreover, we suggest that mitigation of long-term facilitation could contribute to the increased prevalence of sleep apnea in aging women.

Inter-rater reliability between experienced and inexperienced otolaryngologists using Koo's drug-induced sleep endoscopy classification system

PURPOSE

An ideal, drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) classification system should cover all the upper airways, be simple and practical, and quantify the severity of any obstruction. Excellent validity and reliability are essential. We explored the inter-rater reliability of Koo's DISE classification system in the hands of experienced and inexperienced otolaryngologists.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed video images of 100 patients who underwent DISE examination in our hospital between 2015 and 2018. Three experienced and three inexperienced otolaryngologists reviewed and scored all images. We calculated the inter-rater reliabilities of the two groups of otolaryngologists.

RESULTS

Independent of the extent of experience with DISE, detection of retropalatal obstructions (overall agreement: 0.87; kappa value: 0.60), and the degree of such obstructions (overall agreement: 0.67; kappa value: 0.52) were more consistent than were the detection of retrolingual obstructions (overall agreement: 0.61, kappa value: 0.37) and the degree of retrolingual obstructions (overall agreement: 0.20, kappa value: 0.35). Inexperienced observers were in good agreement for palatal obstructions and experienced observers were in good agreement for tongue-base obstructions. All of the otolaryngologists found it difficult to detect a lateral pharyngeal wall obstruction at the retrolingual level.

CONCLUSION

Koo's DISE classification system focuses on surgical treatment, especially by otolaryngologists, and the degree of agreement between the experienced and inexperienced observers was relatively high. The participants' level of experience had a strong impact on scoring. The less-experienced otolaryngologists tended to overlook tongue-base obstructions, focusing instead on relatively simple retropalatal obstructions. In the future, development of a DISE classification system that can be accepted globally will be necessary.

Impact of sex and menopausal status on the prevalence, clinical presentation, and comorbidities of sleep-disordered breathing

OBJECTIVE

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is currently considered as a unique condition, but it has been suggested that the prevalence, clinical presentation, and associated conditions may differ by sex or by menopausal status in women. We aimed to assess the prevalence of SDB and associated comorbidities in pre- and postmenopausal women compared with men.

METHODS

Participants of the population-based HypnoLaus Sleep Cohort study underwent polysomnography in their home environment and had extensive phenotyping for diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and depression.

RESULTS

A total of 2121 subjects (age 40-85 [59 ± 11] years, body mass index 25.6 ± 4.1 kg/m², 1024 men and 1097 women [769 postmenopausal]) were included. SDB prevalence based on an apnea-hypopnea index of >5/h, >15/h, >20/h, and ≥30/h, respectively, was 83.8%, 49.7%, 37.5%, and 22.0% in men; 35.1%, 8.6%, 3.3%, and 1.3% in premenopausal women; and 71.6%, 29.4%, 20.7%, and 10.1% in postmenopausal women. In multivariable models, SDB severity was significantly associated with hypertension in women (p = 0.007) (mainly in postmenopausal women) but not in men (p = 0.065), with diabetes in men (p = 0.021) but not in women overall (p = 0.853) or in postmenopausal women (p = 0.725), with metabolic syndrome in men (p = 0.002) and women (p < 0.001), and with depression in women (p = 0.007) but not in men (p = 0.853).

CONCLUSION

SDB prevalence in this middle-aged to-older population was high, particularly in men and postmenopausal women. SDB was associated with hypertension and depression exclusively in women, whereas an association with diabetes was present only in men. These findings suggest that the SDB definition and management recommendations may need to be adapted to these groups' specificities.

Does drug-induced sleep endoscopy predict surgical success of limited palatal muscle resection in patients with obstructive sleep apnea?

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to determine the associated factors affecting the success rate of limited palatal muscle resection (LPMR), and to investigate whether drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) could predict the therapeutic response to LPMR in patients with obstructive sleep apnea obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

METHODS

Twenty-one consecutive OSA patients underwent LPMR were enrolled. All patients received routine ENT examination, preoperative DISE, and polysomnography (PSG). Clinical, polysomnographic, cephalometric variables, and DISE findings were evaluated. The measurements were related to the success or failure of LPMR based on the results of preoperative and postoperative PSG.

RESULTS

The overall success rate of LPMR was 66.6%. Postoperative AHI and minimal oxygen saturation were significantly decreased after LPMR (p<0.001). Comparison between success and failure groups revealed no significant differences in BMI, Friedman stage, preoperative AHI, minimal oxygen saturation, and all cephalometric parameters. However, the success of LPMR was significantly correlated with site, degree, and configuration of obstruction in DISE. In the velopharynx, complete obstruction (p=0.006) with anterolateral or concentric pattern (p=0.044) had significantly better success rate than partial obstruction with lateral pattern.

CONCLUSION

DISE was only predictive method for identifying the success in OSA patients undergoing LPMR. Patients with anteroposterior or concentric total obstruction in the velopharynx might be suitable candidate for LPMR.

[Drug-induced sedation endoscopy-quo vadis? : Review and outlook]

BACKGROUND

Drug-induced sedation endoscopy (DISE) is a diagnostic procedure which allows evaluation of the collapsibility of the upper airway. According to expert opinion, it is possible to imitate nocturnal collapsibility and perform a realistic investigation of the site of obstruction and vibration. This should enable sufficient and precise therapeutic advice to be given solely on the basis of clinical assessment.

OBJECTIVE

The current publication critically evaluates the present state of development of DISE and its potential indications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A PubMed literature research was performed using "sleep" and "endoscopy" or "DISE" as keywords. Relevant publications were evaluated.

RESULTS

The present publication provides a historical summary of the available publications and relates these to other methods for examining obstructive sleep apnea. The present state of DISE in terms of drugs applied, grading systems, and validity is evaluated. Indications for DISE are described and critically discussed on the basis of literature data.

CONCLUSION

DISE provides deep insights into the genesis of obstructions of the upper airway and snoring. Although its value for diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing could not yet be demonstrated for all non-CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapies, DISE could identify predictive parameters some methods. Further potential indications for DISE might be predictive examinations for mandibular advancement devices and respiration-synchronous neurostimulation of the hypoglossal nerve. DISE will thus remain a valuable diagnostic tool for obstructive sleep apnea and rhonchopathy.

Upper airway structural changes induced by CPAP in OSAS patients: a study using drug-induced sleep endoscopy

We studied upper airway structural changes induced by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients using drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). This prospective study was conducted at an academic secondary referral center. In total, 28 male OSAS patients (mean age 41.1 years) with only retropalatal level obstructions were enrolled. Measurements of the obstruction site were obtained in two steps: first a measurement was taken of the obstruction site in accordance with sleep apnea, then, a measurement was taken of the obstruction site in accordance with DISE-assisted CPAP titration, including quantitative changes in the occlusion site before and after CPAP in pixel format using an area calculation program. There was a tendency for persistent closing in cases of antero-posterior (AP) obstruction versus cases of lateral (Lat) obstruction in the CPAP titration. Lat obstructions showed a tendency to be wider than AP obstructions in the quantitative analysis. These results show that the pattern and degree of airway expansion after CPAP differ in accordance with the obstruction site.