Materials and Method: Patients referred to our sleep center with snoring, witnessed apnea and/or daytime sleepiness between November 2010-December 2011 were taken and the polysomnograpy reports were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with sleep efficiency less than 40% and younger than 25 years old were excluded.
Results: 343 patients (220 patients <65 years' old; mean 50.2±9.3 years' old, 123 patients >65 years' old; mean 69.7±4.7 years' old) were accepted. Body mass indexes were similar in both groups. Sleep efficiency, deep sleep percentage were less, while light sleep and apnea-hypopnea indexes were higher in older group. Total number of apneas and hypopneas were similar. Mean apnea duration and periodic leg movement index were more and respiratory arousals were less in the older group.
Conclusion: Older people reach the similar total number of apnea-hypopnea events in a less sleep time than younger. As a result, apnea-hypopnea indexes are found to be higher in the older group. The decay in the respiratory arousal system may be the cause of the increase in the mean apnea duration in the older patients. Especially sleep apneic patients older than 65 years' old should be carefully examined for periodic leg movement disease, low ferritine levels and comorbidities.
Keywords : Aged; Sleep; Sleep Apnea Syndromes