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. 2020 May;277(5):1537-1543.
doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05857-4. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

The relation between dizziness and suspected obstructive sleep apnoea

Britta D P J Maas  1 , Tjasse D Bruintjes  2 , Hester J van der Zaag-Loonen  2 , Roeland B van Leeuwen  2
Affiliations

The relation between dizziness and suspected obstructive sleep apnoea

Britta D P J Maas et al. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 May.

Abstract

Purpose: (1) To determine the prevalence of a high risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in patients with dizziness. (2) To assess a relation between the risk of OSA and dizziness-related impairment. (3) To determine whether a high risk of OSA is associated with unexplained dizziness or with hyperventilation/anxiety disorders.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included Dutch adult patients with dizziness. Patients suffering from dementia were excluded. We asked patients to complete the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and STOP-Bang questionnaire (SBQ). Based on the SBQ, patients were subdivided into groups with a low, intermediate, and high risks of OSA. All patients were subjected to our standard examinations for the workup for dizziness.

Results: Among 704 included patients with a mean age of 59 years (± 17 years), 258 (37%) were male. A high risk of OSA was present in 144 (20%) of our patients of whom 120 (83%) were male. Male patients with a high risk of OSA reported an on average 9-point higher score on the DHI than male patients with a low risk of OSA (p = 0.018). We determined an independent relation between the risk of OSA and dizziness-related impairment. We observed no relation between a high risk of OSA and unexplained dizziness or hyperventilation/anxiety disorders.

Conclusion: The prevalence of a high risk of OSA in male patients with dizziness is high and a higher risk of OSA is associated with more dizziness-related impairments. A high risk of OSA is not associated with unexplained dizziness or with hyperventilation/anxiety disorders.

Keywords: DHI; Dizziness; Obstructive sleep apnoea; STOP-bang questionnaire.

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