ABSTRACT
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] is a common disease and concomitant occurrence with obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] has been reported in some studies. This coincidence can result in exacerbation of common complications like exacerbated hypoxemia, hyperpnea and right-sided heart failure. Thus, we decided to evaluate and compare respiratory disturbance index [RDI] and sleep apnea in COPD patients. For this purpose, 50 COPD patients with OSA were studied between 2003 and 2004. OSA criteria included obstructive apnea and clinical symptoms of snoring, sleep disorder and RDI >/= 5. The patients were divided in to two groups: group 1 consisted of 11 patients [22%] with FEV1/FVC<70 with the mean age of 36.18 +/- 14 and group 2 was included 39 patients [78%] with FEV1/FVC >/= 70 with the mean of 84.75 +/- 6.6%. RDI was compared between the two groups using independent sample t-test. Multiple regression analysis was also used for comparing other variables like height, weight, age, etc. The understudy patients were included 19 females [38%] and 31 males [62%] with the mean age of 53.7 +/- 14.8 yrs. There were statistically significant differences in RDI and height between the two groups [p=0.028 and p=0.00, respectively]. However, no significant difference was detected between the two groups in terms of weight and body mass index [BMI]. The possibility of concomitant occurrence of COPD and OSA should be considered due to co-occurrence of significant respiratory symptoms [like dyspnea, sleepiness, etc.] and assessed by adding RDI to important indices like height and so on