Predictors of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Community-Dwelling AdultsThe Sleep Heart Health Study

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Abstract
EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH has shown that sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common but largely undiagnosed in the general adult population.1 Although uncertainty remains as to the level of SDB that should prompt therapy, there is a clear need for evidence-based strategies to target persons with SDB who might benefit from diagnosis and treatment. For this purpose, a deeper understanding of the patterns of SDB occurrence and of its predictive factors is needed. At present, most of our understanding of SDB correlates comes from observations of patients diagnosed as having sleep apnea syndrome, the clinical entity of SDB. Clinical reports have consistently shown that SDB tends to occur predominantly in men during middle age, and that habitual snoring, obesity, and large neck girth are strong predictors of SDB.2 However, because only a small fraction of SDB is diagnosed, patients with SDB ascertained through sleep clinics are probably not representative of affected persons in the community.