STOP-BANG QUESTIONNAIRE - AN EASY TOOL FOR IDENTIFYING OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS.

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) compared to the general population. Our study aims to analyze the usefulness of the STOP-BANG score, tool which was not yet validated in patients with diabetets, as a tool that estimates the severity of OSA, in patients with T2DM.
Methods: 120 patients, who answered the STOP-BANG questionnaire and underwent polysomnography, were included in the study. The patients were divided into 3 groups, depending on the severity of OSA, defined by the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI).
Results: A significant percentage of participants (42.1%) had a severe form of OSA (AHI ≥30) and a high percentage of subjects had a STOP-BANG score ≥5 (58.7%), equivalent to a severe form of the disease. The STOP-BANG score increased proportionally with AHI (p<0.001). The area under the ROC curve for the STOP-Bang score indicated an optimal cut-off value of 4.5, with a sensitivity of 88.2% and a specificity of 62.9% (p <0.001), STOP-BANG score ≥5 being an independent predictor for severe OSA in patients with T2DM. Conclusions: The STOP-BANG score can be used in patients with diabetes to detect severe OSA in order to establish appropriate therapeutic measures. ©2021 Acta Endocrinologica (Buc).