@article {675, title = {Fasting and 2-hour postchallenge serum glucose measures and risk of incident cardiovascular events in the elderly: the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Arch Intern Med}, volume = {162}, year = {2002}, month = {2002 Jan 28}, pages = {209-16}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The contributions of fasting and 2-hour postchallenge glucose level to cardiovascular events remain ill-defined, especially for nondiabetic adults. This study examined the relative predictive power of fasting and 2-hour glucose level on cardiovascular event risk.

METHODS: A total of 4014 community-dwelling adults 65 years or older who participated in the baseline visit of the Cardiovascular Health Study and who were without treated diabetes or previous myocardial infarction or stroke were eligible for analyses. Participants with treated diabetes at baseline were excluded. Incident myocardial infarction or stroke, or coronary death, was the outcome of interest. Age-, sex-, and race-adjusted proportional hazards regression models described individual and joint associations between baseline measures of fasting and 2-hour postchallenge glucose level and event risk.

RESULTS: There were 764 incident cardiovascular events during 8.5 years of follow-up. Fasting glucose level of 115 mg/dL (6.4 mmol/L) or more was associated with an increased cardiovascular risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.66 [95\% confidence interval (CI), 1.39-1.98]) in adjusted analyses compared with fasting glucose level less than 115 mg/dL. Two-hour glucose level was associated with a linear risk (HR, 1.02 [95\% CI, 1.00-1.04] per 10 mg/dL [0.6 mmol/L]) that included an additional increase in risk for 2-hour glucose level of 154 mg/dL (8.5 mmol/L) or more (HR, 1.29 [95\% CI, 1.04-1.59]) in adjusted analyses. In joint fasting and 2-hour glucose models, only 2-hour glucose level remained predictive of event risk.

CONCLUSIONS: Two-hour glucose level was better than fasting glucose level alone at identifying older adults at increased risk of major incident cardiovascular events.

}, keywords = {Aged, Blood Glucose, Cardiovascular Diseases, Fasting, Female, Glucose Tolerance Test, Humans, Male, Myocardial Infarction, Predictive Value of Tests, Proportional Hazards Models, Risk Assessment, Stroke}, issn = {0003-9926}, doi = {10.1001/archinte.162.2.209}, author = {Smith, Nicholas L and Barzilay, Joshua I and Shaffer, Douglas and Savage, Peter J and Heckbert, Susan R and Kuller, Lewis H and Kronmal, Richard A and Resnick, Helaine E and Psaty, Bruce M} } @article {727, title = {Diabetes and sleep disturbances: findings from the Sleep Heart Health Study.}, journal = {Diabetes Care}, volume = {26}, year = {2003}, month = {2003 Mar}, pages = {702-9}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that diabetes is independently associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and in particular that diabetes is associated with sleep abnormalities of a central, rather than obstructive, nature.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using baseline data from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS), we related diabetes to 1). the respiratory disturbance index (RDI; number of apneas plus hypopneas per h of sleep); 2). obstructive apnea index (OAI; >or=3 apneas/h of sleep associated with obstruction of the upper airway); 3). percent of sleep time < 90\% O(2) saturation; 4). central apnea index (CAI; >or=3 apneas [without respiratory effort]/h sleep); 5). occurrence of a periodic breathing (Cheyne Stokes) pattern; and 6) sleep stages. Initial analyses excluding persons with prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) were repeated including these participants.

RESULTS: Of the 5874 participants included in this report, 692 (11.8\%) reported diabetes or were taking oral hypoglycemic medications or insulin and 1002 had prevalent CVD. Among the 4872 persons without CVD, 470 (9.6\%) had diabetes. Diabetic participants had worse CVD risk factor profiles than their nondiabetic counterparts, including higher BMI, waist and neck circumferences, triglycerides, higher prevalence of hypertension, and lower HDL cholesterol (P < 0.001, all). Descriptive analyses indicated differences between diabetic and nondiabetic participants in RDI, sleep stages, sleep time <90\% O(2) saturation, CAI, and periodic breathing (P < 0.05, all). However, multivariable regression analyses that adjusted for age, sex, BMI, race, and neck circumference eliminated these differences for all sleep measures except percent time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (19.0\% among diabetic vs. 20.1\% among nondiabetic subjects, P < 0.001) and prevalence of periodic breathing (odds ratio [OR] for diabetic subjects versus nondiabetic subjects 1.80, 95\% CI 1.02-3.15). Additionally, adjusted analyses showed diabetes was associated with nonstatistically significant elevations in the odds of an increased central breathing index (OR 1.42, 95\% CI 0.80-2.55). Addition to the analysis of the 1002 persons with prevalent CVD (including 222 people with diabetes) did not materially change these results.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that diabetes is associated with periodic breathing, a respiratory abnormality associated with abnormalities in the central control of ventilation. Some sleep disturbances may result from diabetes through the deleterious effects of diabetes on central control of respiration. The high prevalence of SDB in diabetes, although largely explained by obesity and other confounders, suggests the presence of a potentially treatable risk factor for CVD in the diabetic population.

}, keywords = {Aged, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Humans, Logistic Models, Male, Middle Aged, Multivariate Analysis, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive}, issn = {0149-5992}, doi = {10.2337/diacare.26.3.702}, author = {Resnick, Helaine E and Redline, Susan and Shahar, Eyal and Gilpin, Adele and Newman, Anne and Walter, Robert and Ewy, Gordon A and Howard, Barbara V and Punjabi, Naresh M} } @article {784, title = {Polysomnography performed in the unattended home versus the attended laboratory setting--Sleep Heart Health Study methodology.}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {27}, year = {2004}, month = {2004 May 01}, pages = {536-40}, abstract = {

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare polysomnographic recordings obtained in the home and laboratory setting.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Multicenter study comparing unsupervised polysomnography performed in the participant{\textquoteright}s home with polysomnography supervised at an academic sleep disorders center, using a randomized sequence of study setting. Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) standardized polysomnographic recording and scoring techniques were used for both settings.

PARTICIPANTS: 64 of 76 non-SHHS participants recruited from 7 SHHS field sites who had both a laboratory and home polysomnogram meeting acceptable quality criteria.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Median sleep duration was greater in the home than in the laboratory (375 vs 318 minutes, respectively, P < .0001) as was sleep efficiency (86\% vs 82\%, respectively, P < .0024). Very small, but significant increases in percentage of rapid eye movement sleep and decreases in stage 1 sleep were noted in the laboratory. Employing multiple definitions of respiratory disturbance index (RDI), median RDI was similar in both settings (for example, RDI with 3\% desaturation: home 12.4, range 0.6-67; laboratory 9.5, range 0.1-93.4, P = .41). Quartile analysis of laboratory RDI showed moderate agreement with home RDI measurements. Based on the mean of laboratory and home RDI and using a cutpoint of 20, there was a biphasic distribution, with the RDI 3\% above 20 being more common in the recordings performed in the laboratory than in the home and below 20 being more common in the recordings performed in the home than in the laboratory. These differences could not be attributed to quality of recording, age, sex, or body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS: Using SHHS methodology, median RDI was similar in the unattended home and attended laboratory setting with differences of small magnitude in some sleep parameters. Differences in RDI between settings resulted in a rate of disease misclassification that is similar to repeated studies in the same setting.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Body Mass Index, Clinical Laboratory Techniques, Cohort Studies, Health Status, Home Care Services, Humans, Middle Aged, Polysomnography, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Sleep, REM}, issn = {0161-8105}, doi = {10.1093/sleep/27.3.536}, author = {Iber, Conrad and Redline, Susan and Kaplan Gilpin, Adele M and Quan, Stuart F and Zhang, Lin and Gottlieb, Daniel J and Rapoport, David and Resnick, Helaine E and Sanders, Mark and Smith, Philip} } @article {800, title = {Sleep-disordered breathing, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance: the Sleep Heart Health Study.}, journal = {Am J Epidemiol}, volume = {160}, year = {2004}, month = {2004 Sep 15}, pages = {521-30}, abstract = {

Clinic-based studies suggest that sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. However, in the available studies, researchers have not rigorously controlled for confounding variables to assess the independent relation between SDB and impaired glucose metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine whether SDB was associated with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance among community-dwelling subjects (n=2,656) participating in the Sleep Heart Health Study (1994-1999). SDB was characterized with the respiratory disturbance index and measurements of oxygen saturation during sleep. Fasting and 2-hour glucose levels measured during an oral glucose tolerance test were used to assess glycemic status. Relative to subjects with a respiratory disturbance index of less than 5.0 events/hour (the reference category), subjects with mild SDB (5.0-14.9 events/hour) and moderate to severe SDB (> or =15 events/hour) had adjusted odds ratios of 1.27 (95\% confidence interval: 0.98, 1.64) and 1.46 (95\% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.97), respectively, for fasting glucose intolerance (p for trend < 0.01). Sleep-related hypoxemia was also associated with glucose intolerance independently of age, gender, body mass index, and waist circumference. The results of this study suggest that SDB is independently associated with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance and may lead to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

}, keywords = {Aged, Blood Gas Analysis, Body Constitution, Body Mass Index, Cohort Studies, Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Fasting, Female, Glucose Intolerance, Glucose Tolerance Test, Humans, Insulin Resistance, Linear Models, Male, Middle Aged, Multivariate Analysis, Oxyhemoglobins, Polysomnography, Research Design, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Sleep Apnea Syndromes}, issn = {0002-9262}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwh261}, author = {Punjabi, Naresh M and Shahar, Eyal and Redline, Susan and Gottlieb, Daniel J and Givelber, Rachel and Resnick, Helaine E} } @article {822, title = {Age-dependent associations between sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension: importance of discriminating between systolic/diastolic hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension in the Sleep Heart Health Study.}, journal = {Circulation}, volume = {111}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Feb 08}, pages = {614-21}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with hypertension in the middle-aged. The association is less clear in older persons. Most middle-aged hypertensives have systolic/diastolic hypertension, whereas isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is common among persons over 60 years. Mechanistically, only systolic/diastolic hypertension is expected to be associated with SDB, but few studies of SDB and hypertension distinguish systolic/diastolic hypertension from ISH. Prior investigations may have underestimated an association between SDB and systolic/diastolic hypertension in the elderly by categorizing individuals with ISH as simply hypertensive.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of 6120 participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study, stratified by age: 40 to 59 (n=2477) and > or =60 years. Outcome measures included apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; average number of apneas plus hypopneas per hour of sleep), systolic/diastolic hypertension (> or =140 and > or =90 mm Hg), and ISH (> or =140 and <90 mm Hg). With adjustment for covariates, ISH was not associated with SDB in either age category. In those aged<60 years, AHI was significantly associated with higher odds of systolic/diastolic hypertension (AHI 15 to 29.9, OR=2.38 [95\% CI 1.30 to 4.38]; AHI > or =30, OR=2.24 [95\% CI 1.10 to 4.54]). Among those aged > or =60 years, no adjusted association between AHI and systolic/diastolic hypertension was found.

CONCLUSIONS: SDB is associated with systolic/diastolic hypertension in those aged <60 years. No association was found between SDB and systolic/diastolic hypertension in those aged > or =60 years or between SDB and ISH in either age category. These findings have implications for SDB screening and treatment. Distinguishing between hypertensive subtypes reveals a stronger association between SDB and hypertension for those aged <60 years than previously reported.

}, keywords = {Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Antihypertensive Agents, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diastole, Female, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Sleep Apnea, Central, Systole}, issn = {1524-4539}, doi = {10.1161/01.CIR.0000154540.62381.CF}, author = {Haas, Donald C and Foster, Gregory L and Nieto, F Javier and Redline, Susan and Resnick, Helaine E and Robbins, John A and Young, Terry and Pickering, Thomas G} } @article {834, title = {Association of sleep time with diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance.}, journal = {Arch Intern Med}, volume = {165}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Apr 25}, pages = {863-7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Experimental sleep restriction causes impaired glucose tolerance (IGT); however, little is known about the metabolic effects of habitual sleep restriction. We assessed the cross-sectional relation of usual sleep time to diabetes mellitus (DM) and IGT among participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study, a community-based prospective study of the cardiovascular consequences of sleep-disordered breathing.

METHODS: Participants were 722 men and 764 women, aged 53 to 93 years. Usual sleep time was obtained by standardized questionnaire. Diabetes mellitus was defined as a serum glucose level of 126 mg/dL or more (> or =7.0 mmol/L) fasting or 200 mg/dL or more (> or =11.1 mmol/L) 2 hours following standard oral glucose challenge or medication use for DM. Impaired glucose tolerance was defined as a 2-hour postchallenge glucose level of 140 mg/dL or more (> or =7.8 mmol/L) and less than 200 mg/dL. The relation of sleep time to DM and IGT was examined using categorical logistic regression with adjustment for age, sex, race, body habitus, and apnea-hypopnea index.

RESULTS: The median sleep time was 7 hours per night, with 27.1\% of subjects sleeping 6 hours or less per night. Compared with those sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night, subjects sleeping 5 hours or less and 6 hours per night had adjusted odds ratios for DM of 2.51 (95\% confidence interval, 1.57-4.02) and 1.66 (95\% confidence interval, 1.15-2.39), respectively. Adjusted odds ratios for IGT were 1.33 (95\% confidence interval, 0.83-2.15) and 1.58 (95\% confidence interval, 1.15-2.18), respectively. Subjects sleeping 9 hours or more per night also had increased odds ratios for DM and IGT. These associations persisted when subjects with insomnia symptoms were excluded.

CONCLUSIONS: A sleep duration of 6 hours or less or 9 hours or more is associated with increased prevalence of DM and IGT. Because this effect was present in subjects without insomnia, voluntary sleep restriction may contribute to the large public health burden of DM.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Blood Glucose, Diabetes Mellitus, Disease Progression, Female, Glucose Intolerance, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Prevalence, Prospective Studies, Sleep, Surveys and Questionnaires, Time Factors, United States}, issn = {0003-9926}, doi = {10.1001/archinte.165.8.863}, author = {Gottlieb, Daniel J and Punjabi, Naresh M and Newman, Ann B and Resnick, Helaine E and Redline, Susan and Baldwin, Carol M and Nieto, F Javier} } @article {857, title = {Haptoglobin phenotype, sleep-disordered breathing, and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease: the Sleep Heart Health Study.}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {28}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Feb}, pages = {207-13}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and there is growing evidence that sleep-disordered breathing also may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The mechanism responsible for increased susceptibility of people with diabetes to cardiovascular disease is thought to share several features with sleep-disordered breathing, notably increased oxidative stress. We recently demonstrated that a particular haptoglobin phenotype that is associated with differential antioxidant activity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in individuals with diabetes. We therefore sought to determine whether sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease are more strongly associated among people with the unfavorable haptoglobin phenotype.

METHODS: We tested this hypothesis in 2612 middle-aged and older participants from the Sleep Heart Health Study. Haptoglobin phenotyping was performed by gel electrophoresis. Respiratory disturbance index was assessed by standard methods. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between haptoglobin phenotype and cardiovascular disease, adjusting for known cardiovascular risk factors (age, sex, diabetes, smoking, lipid levels, and hypertension). Possible modification by haptoglobin phenotype of the association of sleep-disordered breathing with cardiovascular disease prevalence was explored by examining interaction terms.

RESULTS: We found no significant association between haptoglobin phenotype and prevalent cardiovascular disease in this cohort, nor were significant interactions found between haptoglobin phenotype and sleep-disordered breathing on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS: Sleep-disordered breathing did not appear to interact with haptoglobin phenotype in modifying the association with prevalent cardiovascular disease in the Sleep Heart Health Study. These findings could be due to the absence of association or to survivor bias in these cross-sectional analyses.

}, keywords = {Aged, Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary, Coronary Artery Bypass, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Haptoglobins, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction, Oxidative Stress, Phenotype, Polysomnography, Prevalence, Sleep Apnea Syndromes}, issn = {0161-8105}, doi = {10.1093/sleep/28.2.207}, author = {Levy, Andrew P and Zhang, Lin and Miller-Lotan, Rachel and Redline, Susan and O{\textquoteright}Connor, George T and Quan, Stuart F and Resnick, Helaine E} } @article {858, title = {Sleepiness in patients with moderate to severe sleep-disordered breathing.}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {28}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Apr}, pages = {472-7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Population-based studies suggest that complaints of sleepiness are absent in many individuals with sleep-disordered breathing. We investigated the prevalence of sleepiness as well as factors associated with sleepiness in individuals with moderate to severe sleep-disordered breathing (apnea-hypopnea index > or = 15).

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SETTING: The Sleep Heart Health Study.

PARTICIPANTS: Sleep Heart Health Study participants (N = 6440).

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Sleepiness was defined as an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score >10 or a report of at least frequently feeling unrested or sleepy. Forty-six percent of participants with moderate to severe sleep-disordered breathing (n = 1149) reported sleepiness. Characteristics associated with sleepiness after adjustment for confounders included presence of respiratory disease, shorter self-reported weekday and weekend sleep, sleep durations, complaints of insufficient sleep, complaints of sleep maintenance insomnia, early morning awakening, habitual snoring, and complaints of awakening with leg cramps or leg jerks. Some respiratory polysomnography measures were associated with sleepiness, but sleep-stage percentages and measures of sleep disruption were not.

CONCLUSIONS: In this community-based cohort, subjective sleepiness is absent in many individuals with significant sleep-disordered breathing. Comorbid conditions, including respiratory disease, sleep restriction, insomnia, and nocturnal leg complaints, are important risk factors for sleepiness in individuals with moderate to severe sleep-disordered breathing.

}, keywords = {Aged, Body Mass Index, Cohort Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Disorders of Excessive Somnolence, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Oxygen, Polysomnography, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Sleep Arousal Disorders, Sleep Stages, Surveys and Questionnaires}, issn = {0161-8105}, doi = {10.1093/sleep/28.4.472}, author = {Kapur, Vishesh K and Baldwin, Carol M and Resnick, Helaine E and Gottlieb, Daniel J and Nieto, F Javier} } @article {915, title = {Association of usual sleep duration with hypertension: the Sleep Heart Health Study.}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {29}, year = {2006}, month = {2006 Aug}, pages = {1009-14}, abstract = {

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Limited experimental data suggest that sleep restriction acutely elevates blood pressure; however, little is known about the relationship between usual sleep duration and hypertension. This study assesses the relationship between usual sleep duration and hypertension in a community-based cohort.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING: The Sleep Heart Health Study, a community-based prospective study of the cardiovascular consequences of sleep-disordered breathing.

PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand eight hundred thirteen men and 3097 women, aged 40 to 100 years.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Usual weekday and weekend sleep durations were obtained by questionnaire, and their weighted average were categorized as less than 6, 6 to less than 7, 7 to less than 8, 8 to less than 9, and 9 or more hours per night. Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or greater, a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or greater, or use of medication to treat hypertension. The relationship between sleep duration and hypertension was examined using categorical logistic regression with adjustment for age, sex, race, apnea-hypopnea index, and body mass index. Compared to subjects sleeping 7 to less than 8 hours per night, those sleeping less than 6 and between 6 and 7 hours per night had adjusted odds ratios for hypertension of 1.66 (95\% confidence interval 1.35-2.04) and 1.19 (1.02-1.39), respectively, whereas those sleeping between 8 and 9 and 9 or more hours per night had adjusted odds ratios for hypertension of 1.19 (1.04-1.37) and 1.30 (1.04-1.62), respectively (p < .0001 for association of sleep duration with hypertension). These associations persisted when analyses were further adjusted for caffeine and alcohol consumption, current smoking, insomnia symptoms, depression symptoms, sleep efficiency, and prevalent diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS: Usual sleep duration above or below the median of 7 to less than 8 hours per night is associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension, particularly at the extreme of less than 6 hours per night.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Body Mass Index, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Prospective Studies, Sleep, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive, Sleep Deprivation, Statistics as Topic}, issn = {0161-8105}, doi = {10.1093/sleep/29.8.1009}, author = {Gottlieb, Daniel J and Redline, Susan and Nieto, F Javier and Baldwin, Carol M and Newman, Anne B and Resnick, Helaine E and Punjabi, Naresh M} } @article {937, title = {Association of physical activity with sleep-disordered breathing.}, journal = {Sleep Breath}, volume = {11}, year = {2007}, month = {2007 Sep}, pages = {149-57}, abstract = {

This study was performed to determine whether there is a protective association between participation in vigorous or vigorous/moderately vigorous physical activity and the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Polysomnographic and questionnaire data from the baseline examination of 4,275 participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) were analyzed in relation to information on amount of physical activity and other potentially relevant factors collected from five SHHS parent cohorts (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Cardiovascular Health Study, Framingham Heart Study, Strong Heart Study, and Tucson Epidemiologic Study of Airways Obstructive Diseases). Logistic regression models were fitted to determine if amount and strenuousness of physical activity was associated with the presence of SDB. At least 3 h per week of vigorous physical activity reduced the odds of SDB, defined as a respiratory disturbance index (RDI) of at least 15 apneas/hypopneas per hour (Adjusted OR, 0.68; 95\%CI, 0.51-0.91). A qualitatively similar but slightly weaker association was observed when SDB was defined as a RDI > or = 10 per hour (Adjusted OR, 0.81; 95\%CI, 0.64-1.02). These findings remained after adjustment for sleepiness and restricting analyses to participants with good health. Three or more hours of moderately vigorous or vigorous physical activity also appeared to confer some protection against SDB, but these associations were weaker. Gender- and obesity-stratified analyses suggested that the protective association between physical activity and SDB occurred primarily in men and those who were obese. A program of regular vigorous physical activity of at least 3 h per week may be a useful adjunctive treatment modality for SDB, but this association needs confirmation with a prospective clinical trial.

}, keywords = {Adult, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cohort Studies, Exercise, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Polysomnography, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, Pulmonary Ventilation, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive, Sleep Stages, Weight Loss}, issn = {1520-9512}, doi = {10.1007/s11325-006-0095-5}, author = {Quan, Stuart F and O{\textquoteright}Connor, George T and Quan, Jason S and Redline, Susan and Resnick, Helaine E and Shahar, Eyal and Siscovick, David and Sherrill, Duane L} } @article {1043, title = {Fasting glycemia in sleep disordered breathing: lowering the threshold on oxyhemoglobin desaturation.}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {31}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 Jul}, pages = {1018-24}, abstract = {

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Commonly used definitions of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are based on identifying discrete events of breathing abnormalities during sleep that are accompanied by an oxyhemoglobin desaturation (delta SaO2) of at least 4\%. However, it is not known whether disordered breathing events with oxyhemoglobin desaturation less than 4\% are associated with clinical sequelae such as abnormalities in fasting glycemia.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Participants from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) with a fasting glucose measurement made within a year of the baseline polysomnogram.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: SDB severity was defined using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the hypopnea index (HI) by counting events with different levels of oxyhemoglobin desaturation (0.0\%-1.9\%, 2.0\%-2.9\%, 3.0\%-3.9\%, > or = 4.0\%). Fasting glucose levels were used to classify individuals into normal (<100 mg/dL), impaired (100-125 mg/dL), and diabetic (> or = 126 mg/dL) groups. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the adjusted relative odds of an abnormal glucose value across quartiles of the hypopnea index, independent of factors such as age, body mass index, waist circumference, and usual sleep duration. The prevalence of impaired and diabetic fasting glucose in the analytical sample was 32.9\% and 5.8\%, respectively. The covariate-adjusted relative odds of impaired or diabetic fasting glucose in the highest versus the lowest AHI quartile was 1.35 (95\% CI: 1.04-1.76) for events with a delta SaO2 > or = 4.0\%, 1.72 (95\% CI: 1.20-2.48) for events with a delta SaO2 between 3.0\%-3.9\%, 1.41 (95\% CI: 1.07-1.86) for events with a delta SaO2 between 2.0\%-2.9\%, and 1.07 (95\% CI: 0.84-1.37) for events with a delta SaO2 between 0.0\%-1.9\%. The corresponding odds ratios for the HI were 1.47 (95\% CI: 1.13-1.92), 2.25 (95\% CI: 1.59-3.19), 1.44 (95\% CI: 1.09-1.90), and 1.15 (95\% CI: 0.90-1.47), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that SDB events accompanied by oxyhemoglobin desaturation of between 2\% to 4\% are associated with fasting hyperglycemia. These findings suggest that milder degrees of SDB may predispose to adverse metabolic outcomes.

}, keywords = {Aged, Blood Glucose, Body Mass Index, Cohort Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Fasting, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Oxygen, Oxyhemoglobins, Polysomnography, Reference Values, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive}, issn = {0161-8105}, author = {Stamatakis, Katherine and Sanders, Mark H and Caffo, Brian and Resnick, Helaine E and Gottlieb, Dan J and Mehra, Reena and Punjabi, Naresh M} } @article {1051, title = {Sleep disordered breathing and hypertension: does self-reported sleepiness modify the association?}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {31}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 Aug}, pages = {1127-32}, abstract = {

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Epidemiologic studies that demonstrate increased risk of hypertension in persons with sleep disordered breathing indicate that only a minority of these persons report significant subjective sleepiness. Studies also suggest that presence of self-reported sleepiness may identify a subset of persons with sleep disordered breathing who are at greatest risk of cardiovascular sequelae, including hypertension. We explore whether self-reported sleepiness modifies the relationship between sleep disordered breathing and prevalent hypertension.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional.

SETTING: Multicenter study.

PARTICIPANTS: 6046 subjects from the Sleep Heart Health Study.

MEASUREMENTS: Polysomnography, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use, questionnaire determined excessive sleepiness and Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and covariates.

RESULTS: The odds of hypertension at higher apnea hypopnea index categories were larger in participants identified as sleepy based on responses to a frequency of sleepiness question or the Epworth score. For example, for those with AHI > or =30 compared to AHI <1.5, the adjusted odds ratio for hypertension was 2.83 (1.33-6.04) among those reporting sleepiness > or =5 days per month, but only 1.22 (0.89-1.68) among those reporting less frequent daytime sleepiness. In adjusted logistic regression models, there was statistical evidence for effect modification by frequency of sleepiness (P = 0.033) of the association between apnea hypopnea index and hypertension. In adjusted models that included the Epworth score as a continuous variable, the interaction term fell slightly short of statistical significance (beta = 0.010, P = 0.07).

CONCLUSION: This study finds that the association of sleep disordered breathing with hypertension is stronger in individuals who report daytime sleepiness than in those who do not.

}, keywords = {Aged, Antihypertensive Agents, Comorbidity, Cross-Sectional Studies, Disorders of Excessive Somnolence, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Oxygen, Polysomnography, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive, United States}, issn = {0161-8105}, author = {Kapur, Vishesh K and Resnick, Helaine E and Gottlieb, Daniel J} } @article {1018, title = {Sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease: an outcome-based definition of hypopneas.}, journal = {Am J Respir Crit Care Med}, volume = {177}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 May 15}, pages = {1150-5}, abstract = {

RATIONALE: Epidemiologic studies on the consequences of sleep-disordered breathing invariably use the apnea-hypopnea index as the primary measure of disease severity. Although hypopneas constitute a majority of disordered breathing events, significant controversy remains about the best criteria used to define these events.

OBJECTIVES: The current investigation sought to assess the most appropriate definition for hypopneas that would be best correlated with cardiovascular disease.

METHODS: A community sample of middle-aged and older adults was recruited as part of the Sleep Heart Health Study. Full-montage polysomnography was conducted and hypopneas were defined using different thresholds of oxyhemoglobin desaturation with and without arousals. Prevalent cardiovascular disease was assessed based on self-report. Logistic regression analysis was used to characterize the independent association between the hypopnea index and prevalent cardiovascular disease.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Using a sample of 6,106 adults with complete data on cardiovascular disease status and polysomnography, the current study found that hypopneas associated with an oxyhemoglobin desaturation of 4\% or more were associated with prevalent cardiovascular disease independent of confounding covariates. The adjusted prevalent odds ratios for quartiles of the hypopnea index using a 4\% desaturation criterion were as follows: 1.00 (<1.10 events/h), 1.10 (1.01-3.20 events/h), 1.33 (3.21-7.69 events/h), and 1.41 (>7.69 events/h). Hypopnea measures based on less than 4\% oxyhemoglobin desaturation or presence of arousals showed no association with cardiovascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS: Hypopneas comprise a significant component of sleep-disordered breathing in the general community. By varying the criteria for defining hypopneas, this study demonstrates that hypopneas with a desaturation of at least 4\% are independently associated with cardiovascular disease. In contrast, no association was observed between cardiovascular disease and hypopneas associated with milder desaturations or arousals.

}, keywords = {Aged, Apnea, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Oxyhemoglobins, Polysomnography, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Terminology as Topic}, issn = {1535-4970}, doi = {10.1164/rccm.200712-1884OC}, author = {Punjabi, Naresh M and Newman, Anne B and Young, Terry B and Resnick, Helaine E and Sanders, Mark H} } @article {1105, title = {Polysomnographic and health-related quality of life correlates of restless legs syndrome in the Sleep Heart Health Study.}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {32}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Jun}, pages = {772-8}, abstract = {

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep disturbance is the primary clinical morbidity of restless legs syndrome (RLS). To date, sleep disturbance in RLS has been measured in (1) clinical samples with polysomnography (PSG) or (2) population-based samples by self-report. The objective of this study was to analyze sleep by PSG in a population-based sample with symptoms of RLS.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING: Community-based.

PARTICIPANTS: 3433 older men and women.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: RLS was evaluated using an 8-item self-administered questionnaire based on NIH diagnostic criteria and required symptoms occurring > or = five times per month and associated with at least moderate distress. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was determined using the SF-36. Unattended, in-home PSG was performed. Data were assessed using general linear models with adjustment for demographic, health-related variables, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Subjects with RLS had longer adjusted mean sleep latency (39.8 vs 26.4 min, P < 0.0001) and higher arousal index (20.1 vs 18.0, P = 0.0145) than those without RLS. Sleep latency increased progressively as the frequency of RLS symptoms increased from 5-15 days per month to 6-7 days per week. No differences in sleep stage percentages were observed between participants with and without RLS. Subjects with RLS also reported poorer HRQOL in all physical domains as well as in the Mental Health and Vitality domains.

CONCLUSIONS: These novel PSG data from a nonclinical, community-based sample of individuals with RLS document sleep disturbance in the home even in individuals with intermittent symptoms.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Polysomnography, Prospective Studies, Quality of Life, Restless Legs Syndrome, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Statistics as Topic}, issn = {0161-8105}, author = {Winkelman, John W and Redline, Susan and Baldwin, Carol M and Resnick, Helaine E and Newman, Anne B and Gottlieb, Daniel J} } @article {1083, title = {Prospective study of sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension: the Sleep Heart Health Study.}, journal = {Am J Respir Crit Care Med}, volume = {179}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Jun 15}, pages = {1159-64}, abstract = {

RATIONALE: Cross-sectional epidemiologic studies show an association between sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension, but only one cohort study has examined sleep-disordered breathing as a risk factor for incident hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether sleep-disordered breathing increases the risk of incident hypertension among persons 40 years of age and older.

METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, we analyzed data from 2,470 participants who at baseline did not have hypertension, defined as blood pressure of at least 140/90 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive medication. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the number of apneas plus hypopneas per hour of sleep, was measured by overnight in-home polysomnography. We estimated odds ratios for developing hypertension during 5 years of follow-up according to baseline AHI.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The odds ratios for incident hypertension increased with increasing baseline AHI; however, this relationship was attenuated and not statistically significant after adjustment for baseline body-mass index. Although not statistically significant, the observed association between a baseline AHI greater than 30 and future hypertension (odds ratio, 1.51; 95\% confidence interval, 0.93-2.47) does not exclude the possibility of a modest association.

CONCLUSIONS: Among middle-aged and older persons without hypertension, much of the relationship between AHI and risk of incident hypertension was accounted for by obesity. After adjustment for body mass index, the AHI was not a significant predictor of future hypertension, although a modest influence of an AHI greater than 30 on hypertension could not be excluded.

}, keywords = {Adult, Blood Pressure, Confidence Intervals, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Hypertension, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Polysomnography, Prognosis, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Time Factors, United States}, issn = {1535-4970}, doi = {10.1164/rccm.200712-1809OC}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Connor, George T and Caffo, Brian and Newman, Anne B and Quan, Stuart F and Rapoport, David M and Redline, Susan and Resnick, Helaine E and Samet, Jonathan and Shahar, Eyal} } @article {1122, title = {Sleep-disordered breathing and mortality: a prospective cohort study.}, journal = {PLoS Med}, volume = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Aug}, pages = {e1000132}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing is a common condition associated with adverse health outcomes including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The overall objective of this study was to determine whether sleep-disordered breathing and its sequelae of intermittent hypoxemia and recurrent arousals are associated with mortality in a community sample of adults aged 40 years or older.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We prospectively examined whether sleep-disordered breathing was associated with an increased risk of death from any cause in 6,441 men and women participating in the Sleep Heart Health Study. Sleep-disordered breathing was assessed with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) based on an in-home polysomnogram. Survival analysis and proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios for mortality after adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking status, body mass index, and prevalent medical conditions. The average follow-up period for the cohort was 8.2 y during which 1,047 participants (587 men and 460 women) died. Compared to those without sleep-disordered breathing (AHI: <5 events/h), the fully adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality in those with mild (AHI: 5.0-14.9 events/h), moderate (AHI: 15.0-29.9 events/h), and severe (AHI: >or=30.0 events/h) sleep-disordered breathing were 0.93 (95\% CI: 0.80-1.08), 1.17 (95\% CI: 0.97-1.42), and 1.46 (95\% CI: 1.14-1.86), respectively. Stratified analyses by sex and age showed that the increased risk of death associated with severe sleep-disordered breathing was statistically significant in men aged 40-70 y (hazard ratio: 2.09; 95\% CI: 1.31-3.33). Measures of sleep-related intermittent hypoxemia, but not sleep fragmentation, were independently associated with all-cause mortality. Coronary artery disease-related mortality associated with sleep-disordered breathing showed a pattern of association similar to all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with all-cause mortality and specifically that due to coronary artery disease, particularly in men aged 40-70 y with severe sleep-disordered breathing. Please see later in the article for the Editors{\textquoteright} Summary.

}, keywords = {Aged, Coronary Artery Disease, Female, Humans, Hypoxia, Male, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Proportional Hazards Models, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Survival Analysis}, issn = {1549-1676}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pmed.1000132}, author = {Punjabi, Naresh M and Caffo, Brian S and Goodwin, James L and Gottlieb, Daniel J and Newman, Anne B and O{\textquoteright}Connor, George T and Rapoport, David M and Redline, Susan and Resnick, Helaine E and Robbins, John A and Shahar, Eyal and Unruh, Mark L and Samet, Jonathan M} } @article {1181, title = {Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea and incident stroke: the sleep heart health study.}, journal = {Am J Respir Crit Care Med}, volume = {182}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Jul 15}, pages = {269-77}, abstract = {

RATIONALE: Although obstructive sleep apnea is associated with physiological perturbations that increase risk of hypertension and are proatherogenic, it is uncertain whether sleep apnea is associated with increased stroke risk in the general population.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the incidence of ischemic stroke with sleep apnea in a community-based sample of men and women across a wide range of sleep apnea.

METHODS: Baseline polysomnography was performed between 1995 and 1998 in a longitudinal cohort study. The primary exposure was the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) and outcome was incident ischemic stroke.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 5,422 participants without a history of stroke at the baseline examination and untreated for sleep apnea were followed for a median of 8.7 years. One hundred ninety-three ischemic strokes were observed. In covariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, a significant positive association between ischemic stroke and OAHI was observed in men (P value for linear trend: P = 0.016). Men in the highest OAHI quartile (>19) had an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.86 (95\% confidence interval, 1.1-7.4). In the mild to moderate range (OAHI, 5-25), each one-unit increase in OAHI in men was estimated to increase stroke risk by 6\% (95\% confidence interval, 2-10\%). In women, stroke was not significantly associated with OAHI quartiles, but increased risk was observed at an OAHI greater than 25.

CONCLUSIONS: The strong adjusted association between ischemic stroke and OAHI in community-dwelling men with mild to moderate sleep apnea suggests that this is an appropriate target for future stroke prevention trials.

}, keywords = {Aged, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Polysomnography, Proportional Hazards Models, Prospective Studies, Severity of Illness Index, Sex Factors, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive, Stroke}, issn = {1535-4970}, doi = {10.1164/rccm.200911-1746OC}, author = {Redline, Susan and Yenokyan, Gayane and Gottlieb, Daniel J and Shahar, Eyal and O{\textquoteright}Connor, George T and Resnick, Helaine E and Diener-West, Marie and Sanders, Mark H and Wolf, Philip A and Geraghty, Estella M and Ali, Tauqeer and Lebowitz, Michael and Punjabi, Naresh M} } @article {1215, title = {Prospective study of obstructive sleep apnea and incident coronary heart disease and heart failure: the sleep heart health study.}, journal = {Circulation}, volume = {122}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Jul 27}, pages = {352-60}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Clinic-based observational studies in men have reported that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease. The objective of this study was to assess the relation of obstructive sleep apnea to incident coronary heart disease and heart failure in a general community sample of adult men and women.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1927 men and 2495 women > or =40 years of age and free of coronary heart disease and heart failure at the time of baseline polysomnography were followed up for a median of 8.7 years in this prospective longitudinal epidemiological study. After adjustment for multiple risk factors, obstructive sleep apnea was a significant predictor of incident coronary heart disease (myocardial infarction, revascularization procedure, or coronary heart disease death) only in men < or =70 years of age (adjusted hazard ratio 1.10 [95\% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.21] per 10-unit increase in apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]) but not in older men or in women of any age. Among men 40 to 70 years old, those with AHI > or =30 were 68\% more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those with AHI <5. Obstructive sleep apnea predicted incident heart failure in men but not in women (adjusted hazard ratio 1.13 [95\% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.26] per 10-unit increase in AHI). Men with AHI > or =30 were 58\% more likely to develop heart failure than those with AHI <5.

CONCLUSIONS: Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of incident heart failure in community-dwelling middle-aged and older men; its association with incident coronary heart disease in this sample is equivocal.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Coronary Disease, Female, Heart Failure, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Polysomnography, Proportional Hazards Models, Prospective Studies, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive, Survival Analysis}, issn = {1524-4539}, doi = {10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.901801}, author = {Gottlieb, Daniel J and Yenokyan, Gayane and Newman, Anne B and O{\textquoteright}Connor, George T and Punjabi, Naresh M and Quan, Stuart F and Redline, Susan and Resnick, Helaine E and Tong, Elisa K and Diener-West, Marie and Shahar, Eyal} } @article {1278, title = {Association of incident cardiovascular disease with progression of sleep-disordered breathing.}, journal = {Circulation}, volume = {123}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Mar 29}, pages = {1280-6}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Prospective data suggest that sleep-disordered breathing enhances risk for incident and recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, a reverse causal pathway whereby incident CVD causes or worsens sleep-disordered breathing has not been studied.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 2721 Sleep Heart Health Study participants (mean age 62, standard deviation=10 years; 57\% women; 23\% minority) without CVD at baseline underwent 2 polysomnograms 5 years apart. Incident CVD events, including myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and stroke, were ascertained and adjudicated. The relation of incident CVD to change in apnea-hypopnea index between the 2 polysomnograms was tested with general linear models, with adjustment for age, sex, race, study center, history of diabetes mellitus, change in body mass index, change in neck circumference, percent sleep time spent in supine sleep, and time between the 2 polysomnograms. Incident CVD occurred in 95 participants between the first and second polysomnograms. Compared with participants without incident CVD, those with incident CVD experienced larger increases in apnea-hypopnea index between polysomnograms. The difference in adjusted mean apnea-hypopnea index change between subjects with and without incident CVD was 2.75 events per hour (95\% confidence interval, 0.26 to 5.24; P=0.032). This association persisted after subjects with central sleep apnea were excluded. Compared with participants without incident CVD, participants with incident CVD had greater increases in both mean obstructive and central apnea indices, by 1.75 events per hour (95\% confidence interval, 0.10 to 1.75; P=0.04) and by 1.07 events per hour (95\% confidence interval, 0.40 to 1.74; P=0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: In a diverse, community-based sample of middle-aged and older adults, incident CVD was associated with worsening sleep-disordered breathing over 5 years.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cardiovascular Diseases, Disease Progression, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Polysomnography, Risk Factors, Sleep Apnea Syndromes}, issn = {1524-4539}, doi = {10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.974022}, author = {Chami, Hassan A and Resnick, Helaine E and Quan, Stuart F and Gottlieb, Daniel J} } @article {1566, title = {The Impact of Sleep-Disordered Breathing on Body Mass Index (BMI): The Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS).}, journal = {Southwest J Pulm Crit Care}, volume = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Dec 08}, pages = {159-168}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: It is well known that obesity is a risk factor for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). However, whether SDB predicts increase in BMI is not well defined. Data from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) were analyzed to determine whether SDB predicts longitudinal increase in BMI, adjusted for confounding factors. METHODS: A full-montage unattended home polysomnogram (PSG) and body anthropometric measurements were obtained approximately five years apart in 3001 participants. Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was categorized using clinical thresholds: < 5 (normal), >= 5 to <15 (mild sleep apnea), and >= 15 (moderate to severe sleep apnea). Linear regression was used to examine the association between the three AHI groups and increased BMI. The model included age, gender, race, baseline BMI, and change in AHI as covariates. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 62.2 years (10.14), 55.2\% were female and 76.1\% were Caucasian. Five-year increase in BMI was modest with a mean (SD) change of 0.53 (2.62) kg/m(2) (p=0.071). A multivariate regression model showed that subjects with a baseline AHI between 5-15 had a mean increase in BMI of 0.22 kg/m(2) (p=0.055) and those with baseline AHI >= 15 had a BMI increase of 0.51 kg/m(2) (p<0.001) compared to those with baseline AHI of <5. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that there is a positive association between severity of SDB and subsequent increased BMI over approximately 5 years. This observation may help explain why persons with SDB have difficulty losing weight.

}, issn = {2160-6773}, author = {Brown, Mark A and Goodwin, James L and Silva, Graciela E and Behari, Ajay and Newman, Anne B and Punjabi, Naresh M and Resnick, Helaine E and Robbins, John A and Quan, Stuart F} }