The STOP-Bang Test Is Useful for Predicting the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Hideto Oshita, Noriaki Ito, Misato Senoo, Kunihiko Funaishi, Yasuyuki Mitama, Ken Okusaki
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The STOP-Bang test was used to detect patients at high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We evaluated the usefulness of the STOP-Bang test for predicting the severity of OSA in Japanese patients. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the patients who performed full polysomnography at the Mihara Medical Association Hospital. We evaluated the correlation between the STOP-Bang score and the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) using Spearman's rank correlation analysis. We then used multivariate analyses to examine the independent risk factor for severe OSA (AHI ≥ 30/hr). RESULTS: were the independent risk factor for severe OSA. CONCLUSIONS: The STOP-Bang score correlates with AHI and is useful for predicting OSA severity. Polysomnography should be performed actively for the patients with high STOP-Bang scores.