Investigation of Sleep Apnea During Elderly

With the progression of age, the rate and rhythm of breathing decrease during sleep, sleep disorders increase. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is characterized by respiratory arrest during sleep. Aim: To investigate sleep apnea status and related factors of elderly individuals Method: The sample of study, consists of 72 elders who remain in four different rest homes, voluntarily agree to participate in study. Data were collected by using Berlin Sleep Apnea Form, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Visual Similarity Scale Results: The mean age of cases was72,6±7,7and54.2%were female. It was found that 68%of the participants had chronic disease,41.3%had smoked and52.9%had high risk for sleep apnea. The majority of the participants had high fatigue levels and low energy levels. Risk of sleep apnea was higher in males. There was a strong positive correlation between sleep apnea and fatigue levels and a negative correlation with energy level(r <0.01) As the level of fatigue increases and the energy level decreases, the riskof sleep apnea increases. It was found that the individuals who were moderate and over-dependent had a higher risk of sleep apnea compared to individuals who were mildly dependent and fully independent(p <0.05) Patients with depression, DM and HT have high risk of sleep apnea compared to those without. Smoking was effective on sleep apnea. In addition, the individuals who were exposed to passive smoking were found to have a higher risk of sleep apnea(p <0.05). Weight gain was associated with a high rate of sleep apnea(r <0.01) Conclusion: Gender, high fatigue, low energy and dependence level, chronic diseases (depression, DM, HT), exposure to passive smoking, weight gain increase the risk of sleep apnea in elderly individuals.