Polysomnographic evidence of sleep apnoea disorders in lean and overweight haemodialysis patients

Abstract

Background - Sleep apnoea disorders affect a large proportion of patients with renal failure. However, it is unknown whether body composition and visceral adiposity predispose haernodialysis patients to sleep apnoea disorders. Methods - Forty-one dialysis patients were divided in two groups according to the BMI score as; the Lean group (N=21, 1F/20M, BMI = 21.3 ± 2.1) and the Overweight group (N=20, 9F/11M, BMI =28.3 ± 2.8). Sleep disturbances assessed by a full polysomnography (PSG), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), calculated by computed tomography, the quality of life, assessed by the SF-36, and the body composition, measured by DEXA. Results - None of the PSG parameters were different between the two groups. Only visceral adiposity was correlated significantly with sleep apnoea disorders. Conclusions - BMI and percent of total body fat do not seem to predispose for sleep apnoea disorders. Rather it is the increased fat deposition in abdominal area that plays the pivotal role.