Prevalence and Correlates of Sleep‐Disordered Breathing in Older Men: Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sleep Study

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and distribution of sleep‐disordered breathing and associated correlates in a large cohort of older men using several standardized definitions. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional analyses. SETTING: Six U.S. communities. PARTICIPANTS: Polysomnography was performed on 2,911 participants of the Outcomes of Sleep Disorders in Older Men Sleep Study (mean age±standard deviation 76.38±5.53; body mass index 27.17±3.8 kg/m 2 ). MEASUREMENTS: Three outcomes were assessed: sleep‐disordered breathing (respiratory disturbance index ≥15), obstructive apnea (obstructive apnea index ≥5), and central apnea (central apnea index ≥5). RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate–severe sleep‐disordered breathing was estimated to be 21.4% to 26.4%. Multivariable logistic regression models demonstrated that age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) per 5‐year increase =1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.15–1.34), obesity (AOR=2.54, 95% CI=2.09–3.09), Asian versus Caucasian race (AOR=2.14, 95% CI=1.33–3.45), snoring (AOR=2.01, 95% CI=1.62–2.49), sleepiness (AOR=1.41, 95% CI=1.11–1.79), hypertension (AOR=1.26, 95% CI=1.06–1.50), cardiovascular disease (AOR=1.24, 95% CI=1.19–1.29), and heart failure (AOR=1.81, 1.31–2.51) were independently associated with sleep‐disordered breathing; snoring (AOR=2.10, 95% CI=1.67–2.70), age (AOR per 5‐year increase=1.27, 95% CI=1.18–1.38), obesity (AOR=1.48, 95% CI=1.21–1.82), and heart failure (AOR=1.60, 95% CI=1.15–2.24) were associated with obstructive apnea; and age (AOR=1.33, 1.17–1.50) and heart failure (AOR=1.88, 95% CI=1.17–3.04) were associated with central apnea. CONCLUSION: Regardless of definition, a high prevalence of sleep disorders is observed in community‐dwelling older men. Qualitatively similar associations were observed between sleep disorders and snoring, obesity, and comorbidities, as reported for middle aged populations. Asian race was associated with sleep‐disordered breathing.