2022 Volume 36 Issue 5 Pages 656-662
Objective: We investigated the relationship between the respiratory event index (REI) of the screening polysomnography (PSG) test and physical findings in our hospital’s Comprehensive Health Checkup System.
Methods: From May 2016 to March 2020, 46,171 employees (41,418 males and 4,753 females) from NTT Group companies took the Comprehensive Health Checkup System examination. Among them, we targeted 977 (899 males and 78 females) employees who requested the screening PSG test as an optional test for this study. The results of the screening PSG test were classified into 4 stages, from normal to severe sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) by the REI, and moderate, severe, and mild SAS with a Japanese Epworth Sleepiness Scale (JESS) of 11 or more points were included in the detailed examination. We examined the relationship between the REI and age, weight, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, and JESS.
Results: Of the 977 examinees, 871 (89.2%) had sleep apnea disorder of mild SAS or higher, and 625 (71.8%) required a detailed examination. The correlation coefficients between the REI and physical findings were 0.440 for BMI, 0.392 for body weight, 0.251 for systolic blood pressure, 0.198 for age, and 0.047 for JESS.
Conclusion: In this study, the REI and BMI were positively correlated. There was also a weak positive correlation between the REI and body weight, systolic blood pressure, and age, suggesting a link between obesity and SAS, as in previous studies.
