StLouis, Erik

Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked to metabolic syndrome, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. Although ethnic differences related to OSA have been reported, no studies have evaluated the impact of OSA among Greek-Americans. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study, in partnership with the Greek-American community, employed a community-based participatory research framework. Individuals who were of Greek descent and ≥18 years of age were recruited. Anthropometric measurements, Mallampati score, BMI, and adiposity (DEXA scan) were determined. All subjects were administered the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and underwent home sleep apnea test (WatchPAT ONE), using a desaturation threshold of 4% as diagnostic. Descriptive statistics were computed to describe the study population and data were analyzed using the student t-test and chi-squared test. Results A 76 Greeks, 34 males (44.8%) and 42 females (55.2%), were enrolled in this study with a mean ± SD age and BMI of 42.6±17.5 years (p< 0.01) and 27±6 kg/m2, respectively. A total of 22 (29%; 14 males and 8 females) individuals were diagnosed with OSA, of whom 13 (59.1%) had mild, 5 (22.7%) had moderate and 4 (18.2%) had severe OSA. Subjects with OSA were older (58.8±11.9 vs 36.0±15.1 years, p< 0.01), had higher BMI (32±7 vs 25±4 kg/m2, p< 0.01), larger neck circumference (40±4 vs 35±4 cm, p< 0.01) and higher waist-to-hip ratio (0.94±0.08 vs 0.84±0.07, p< 0.01). Body fat percentage was significantly higher among those with versus without OSA (38.8±9.6 vs 34.0±9.2%; p=0.04) while Mallampati and ESS scores were similar. Conclusion This is the first study to assess sleep metrics of Greek-Americans suffering from OSA. Characteristics of those with OSA are similar to other populations. However, the commonly used ESS screening appears to have limited application in this cohort of subjects. Greek-Americans with elevated body fat percentage when associated with concurrent OSA, may be at higher risk of developing cardiometabolic adverse events. Additional studies are required to further elucidate the effect of sleep physiology, cardiometabolic dysfunction and health outcomes. Support (if any) This work was supported by a grant from Sleep Number Corporation to Mayo Clinic, by WatchPATs provided by Zoll Itamar, and by the National Institutes of Health HL160619.