OSA and COPD overlap syndrome – demographic and anthropometric characteristics in a cohort from Western Romania

Abstract

Introduction: Overlap syndrome (OVS) is defined by the co-existence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the same patient. This condition is associated with increased mortality and a higher risk of respiratory exacerbation, compared to patients with COPD or OSA alone. Dedicated studies are required to improve our understanding of OVS patients and to optimize their medical care. Aim: Our aim in this study was to compare the demographic and anthropometric characteristics of patients with OVS versus patients with OSA alone. Method: We enrolled in the study consecutive patients diagnosed with OSA in our Sleep lab from 2005 to 2018. Demographic and anthropometric characteristics were systematically collected for all patients and compared for OVS and OSA patients using Chi-square or Mann-Whitney test. Data distribution was not normal and therefore we report the median values (IQR). Results: The study population consisted of 2173 patients (71.2% males), of whom 381 (17.5%) had OVS and 1792 patients (82.5%) had OSA alone. Significant differences between OVS and OSA group were found with respect to age: 58.0 (13) vs. 53.0 (18), p Conclusion: Patients in OVS group are predominantly male, have an older age, are more obese and have a larger neck circumference and waist-to-hip ratio compared to patients with OSA alone.