[Sleep apnoea in patients of elderly: care activity in Spain (2002-2008)]

Introduction and objective There is a significant lack of scientific evidence on the role of SAHS in the elderly despite the increasing ageing of the population. The objective of the present study is to analyse the current healthcare situation in Spain on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnoea in the elderly population (≥65 years) and its progress over the last few years. Material and method Cross-sectional study. Healthcare information was collected on the diagnosis and treatment of patients of both sexes, ≥65 years old suspected of having SAHS and referred to sleep units (SU) between 2002 and 2008. Results There were 51,229 sleep studies performed in 16 SU. Of these, 24.3% were performed on subjects ≥65 years old (64.9% men), of which 71.5% had an apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) > 10 (68.6% treated with CPAP). There were no differences over time as regards mean age, mean AHI or percentage of studies done. A significant decrease was observed in the number of CPAP prescribed to men ≥65 years from 2002 to 2005 ( P =.01) which subsequently increased up to 2008 ( P =.01). This phenomenon was not observed in women ≥65 years. Conclusion Despite the lack of evidence on the subject, healthcare activity due to suspected SAHS in the elderly population is intense; therefore it should be a priority to start clinical studies that may be able to answer key questions on the diagnosis and treatment of SAHS in this age group