Prevalence and Clinical Profile of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Population of Young Adults

Objective: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is an underdiagnosed clinical condition associated with cardiovascular risk (CV) and remains less studied in younger populations, particularly in primary health care settings. So, this study aims to assess the prevalence and clinical profile of OSA in a young population assisted by the Family Health Strategy (FHS). Design and method: Population-based cross-sectional study including adults aged 20 to 50 years registered at a FHS unit. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics and CV risk factors were collected. Office blood pressure (OBP) was measured, the ankle–brachial index (ABI) calculated, and all participants underwent home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) and metabolic profile assessment. OSA diagnosis was established using home sleep apnea testing (ApneaLink Air – ResMed) and classified by apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) as mild (5–15 events/h), moderate (16–30 events/h), or severe (>30 events/h). Results: A total of 124 individuals were evaluated (38,7% men; mean age 42.8 ± 8.7 years). The prevalence of OSA was 28,2%, and moderate/severe OSA was present in 10,5% (severe OSA 24% and moderate OSA 8.1%). Individuals with OSA were more frequently men (54,3% vs. 32,6%), older (46.5 ± 8.0 vs. 41.3 ± 8.6 years), obese (60% vs. 21,3%), and had increased neck circumference (20% vs. 6,7%). They also showed a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia (71,4% vs. 29,2%) and hypertension (62,9% vs. 33,7%), with higher blood pressure levels on both OBP and HBPM. Among moderate/severe OSA, male sex predominated (61,5% vs. 36,0%), along with older age and obesity (61,5% vs. 28,8%), and a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia (76,9% vs. 36,9%). Moderate/severe OSA was not associated with hypertension; however, these individuals had a lower ABI compared with those without OSA or with mild OSA. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age >40 years tripled OSA risk, while obesity and dyslipidemia increased the odds fivefold. For moderate/severe OSA, male sex and abdominal obesity were independently associated. Conclusions: The prevalence of OSA and moderate/severe OSA was high in this age group and was associated with male sex, older age, obesity, and dyslipidemia. No association with hypertension was observed.