The Frequency of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients with Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis.

Objective: Interruption or reduction in airflow and desaturation is a theoretically expected result in bronchiectasis accompanied by excessive secretions in the airways, bronchial wall thickening, and destruction of the wall structure. The same mechanism of interruption or reduction in airflow and desaturation is valid for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, data on the association of bronchiectasis with OSA are scarce. We aimed to investigate the frequency of OSA and related parameters in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB).

Material and methods: All 43 consecutive patients who presented to the outpatient clinic for bronchiectasis follow-up between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019 were included. The polysomnography (PSG) data of the 43 patients were reviewed. Groups of patients with and without OSA, as detected using PSG, were compared in terms of clinical, demographic, and polysomnographic parameters.

Results: The mean age of the 43 patients was 50 ± 15 years; 28 (65.2%) were female. OSA was detected in 24 (55.8%) of 43 patients, of whom 14 (32.6%) had mild, 5 (11.6%) had moderate, and 5 (11.6%) had severe OSA. Three (7.0%) patients were REM-dependent and 7 (16.3%) were position-dependent. When evaluated using logistic regression analysis, REM percentage (16.8% vs. 11.8%, P = .03) and presence of witnessed apnea (33.3% vs. 15.7%, P = .01) were observed to be significantly higher in the patients with OSA. The age factor was found at the significance limit (P = .05).

Conclusion: The frequency of OSA in patients with NCFB is 55.8%. Investigating OSA using PSG is important in patients with NCFB, especially at advanced ages.