Investigating the Possibility of Obstructive Apnea and Sleepiness in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Based on Epworth Sleepiness Scale and STOP-BANG Questionnaires

Background and Objective: Chronic obstructive respiratory diseases are among the most common lung problems, especially among the elderly. These diseases can cause serious problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea and sleep. The present study aimed to assess the level of sleepiness and the possibility of obstructive apnea in patients with (COPD. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 121 patients diagnosed with COPD in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Hamadan, were selected using available and consecutive sampling. Patients' sleepiness and obstructive sleep apnea frequency were compared using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and STOP-BANG questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed in SPSS software. Results: The mean scores of the patient's age, body mass index (BMI), and duration of COPD were 67.02±10.57 years, 31.02±4.67 kg/m2, and 6.53±5.41 years. Regarding gender, 84 (69.4%) cases were male, and 37 (30.6%) subjects were female. The frequency of daily sleepiness was 24.9%, and the probability of having obstructive sleep apnea was 75.2%. A positive and significant correlation was detected between daily sleepiness score and obstructive sleep apnea (r=0.202; P=0.026). Moreover, the frequency of sleepiness was correlated with female gender (P<0.001), smoking at the time of the interview (P=0.025), old age (P=0.002), and higher BMI (P=0.049). Furthermore, obstructive sleep apnea was significantly correlated with male gender (P=0.002) and smoking in the past (P=0.002). Conclusion: Obstructive sleep apnea has a direct effect on daytime sleepiness, and both variables are significantly affected by age, gender, BMI, as well as current and past smoking.