Journal
SLEEP
Volume 39, Issue 12, Pages 2149-2155Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.5665/sleep.6316
Keywords
adaptation; apnea; hypopnea; high altitude; hypoxia; polysomnography; sleep-disordered breathing
Categories
Funding
- Gerald Kerkut Trust
- London Law Trust
- Worldwide Universities network
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals
- Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Santa Cruz)
- Universidad de La Salle (La Paz)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Study Objectives: To compare polysomnographic parameters in high altitude (HA) native Andean children with low altitude (LA) native peers in order to explain the nocturnal oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO(2)) instability reported in HA native children and to study the effect on sleep quality. Methods: Ninety-eight healthy children aged 7-10 y and 13-16 y were recruited at LA (500 m) or HA (3,650 m) above sea level. Physical examination was undertaken and genetic ancestry determined from salivary DNA to determine proportion of European ancestry, a risk factor for poor HA adaptation. Attended polysomnography was carried out over 1 night for 58 children at their resident location. Results: Of 98 children recruited, 85 met inclusion criteria, 58 of 85 (68.2%) completed polysomnography, of which 56 were adequate for analysis: 30 at LA (17 male) and 26 at HA (16 male). There were no altitude differences in genetic ancestry, but a high proportion of European admixture (median 50.6% LA; 44.0% HA). SpO(2) was less stable at HA with mean 3% and 4% oxygen desaturation indices greater (both P < 0.001) than at LA. This was not explained by periodic breathing. However, more obstructive hypopnea was observed at HA (P < 0.001), along with a trend toward more central apnea (P = 0.053); neither was explained by clinical findings. There was no difference in sleep quality between altitudes. Conclusions: HA native Andean children have more respiratory events when scoring relies on SpO(2) desaturation due to inherent SpO(2) instability. Use of American Academy of Sleep Medicine scoring criteria may yield false-positive results for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing at HA.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available