Obstructive sleep apnoea in adults presenting with snoring

Abstract

Snoring is a common disorder, and may be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea, although there is little published information on the incidence of apnoea in snorers. This study aimed to assess the upper airway and to relate the findings to sleep study data in a population of patients referred by their general practitioners with loud snoring. Each patient had a full history, weight and height measurements, nasal examination, rhinomanometry, peroral grading of the oropharyngeal features, and fibreoptic pharyngoscopy with a modified Muller manoeuvre, followed by a sleep study. The results in our group of 35 patients demonstrate a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnoea (46%). Factors which correlated well with apnoea were excessively loud snoring, a narrow oropharynx, and marked obesity; 94% of patients with one or more of these features had evidence of sleep apnoea.