Health
Study finds sleep test to be gold standard in detecting apnea
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 14, 2005
An overnight sleep test was deemed the best way to distinguish ordinary snorers from those with obstructive sleep apnea, according to a study in the February Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
Although 30% to 50% of the general population snores, only 2% to 4% have sleep apnea, according to the article. The researchers evaluated 101 patients who snored. Medical histories and an assessment of the anatomy of four points in their noses and throats were used for the evaluations.
The patients were also examined using standard polysomnography, a measure of oxygen saturation and airflow, over the course of two nights.
"None of the reported medical history and/or anatomical parameters alone or in combination could be used to distinguish patients with OSA from snoring patients," the authors wrote.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/03/14/hlbf0314.htm.
