The relation between dizziness and suspected obstructive sleep apnoea

• Published in: European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology Vol. 277; no. 5; pp. 1537 - 1543
• Main Authors: Maas, Britta D. P. J., Bruintjes, Tjasse D., van der Zaag-Loonen, Hester J., van Leeuwen, Roeland B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2020
• Subjects: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dizziness - epidemiology; Dizziness - etiology; Female; Head and Neck Surgery; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Neurosurgery; Otorhinolaryngology; Polysomnography; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - complications; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - diagnosis; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Dizziness; STOP-bang questionnaire; Obstructive sleep apnoea; DHI
• ISSN: 0937-4477; 1434-4726; 1434-4726
• DOI: 10.1007/s00405-020-05857-4

Purpose (1) To determine the prevalence of a high risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in patients with dizziness. (2) To assess a relation between the risk of OSA and dizziness-related impairment. (3) To determine whether a high risk of OSA is associated with unexplained dizziness or with hyperventilation/anxiety disorders. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we included Dutch adult patients with dizziness. Patients suffering from dementia were excluded. We asked patients to complete the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and STOP-Bang questionnaire (SBQ). Based on the SBQ, patients were subdivided into groups with a low, intermediate, and high risks of OSA. All patients were subjected to our standard examinations for the workup for dizziness. Results Among 704 included patients with a mean age of 59 years (± 17 years), 258 (37%) were male. A high risk of OSA was present in 144 (20%) of our patients of whom 120 (83%) were male. Male patients with a high risk of OSA reported an on average 9-point higher score on the DHI than male patients with a low risk of OSA ( p  = 0.018). We determined an independent relation between the risk of OSA and dizziness-related impairment. We observed no relation between a high risk of OSA and unexplained dizziness or hyperventilation/anxiety disorders. Conclusion The prevalence of a high risk of OSA in male patients with dizziness is high and a higher risk of OSA is associated with more dizziness-related impairments. A high risk of OSA is not associated with unexplained dizziness or with hyperventilation/anxiety disorders.