Is the Epworth Sleepiness Scale Sufficient to Identify the Excessively Sleepy Subtype of OSA?

Abstract

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), a prevalent clinical feature in OSA, is associated with adverse consequences.1 The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is the most widely used instrument to characterize subjective EDS in OSA.2 Patients with an ESS score of >10 are typically categorized as having EDS.2 However, clustering analyses of a broader range of clinical symptoms have identified unique and reproducible symptom-based subtypes of moderate-to-severe OSA that is characterized by disturbed sleep, different degrees of excessive sleepiness, or minimal symptoms.