0522 Screening and Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) Women: A Pilot Study

Introduction The risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases with age for both sexes. Beyond chronological age, reproductive aging in women between ages of 40-60 may also raise OSA risk. Associations between reproductive aging and OSA have been infrequently explored among women from underrepresented ethnic groups. Therefore, we initiated a pilot cohort study in women from Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) backgrounds (n=77) from Southeast Michigan. To examine the frequency of OSA, we screened women with the STOP-BMI scoring scheme and then compared their risk profiles against Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSATs). Methods This pilot study included 77 MENA women from Michigan between the ages 40-60y. In addition to demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric data, women were also screened for OSA with the STOP-BMI questionnaire (Score >3 indicating high risk and < 3 indicating low risk). A subset of these women completed HSATs with WatchPAT®️ devices (pAHI 3% >5/hour defined OSA). Results In this sample, the mean age was 48y and a third of women were postmenopausal. Mean BMI was 27.6 and 25% of the women had a BMI>30. Twenty women underwent HSATs, and 15 (75%) showed OSA. The mean BMI of women with and without OSA was 30.6 and 26.8 kg/m2, respectively. Of the 15 women with OSA, eight scored low-risk on the STOP-BMI. Moreover, among women without OSA, 40% had a high-risk score on the STOP-BMI. Data suggested that the STOP-BMI has moderate sensitivity (47%) and specificity (60%). Conclusion We found a high frequency of OSA among midlife women from MENA ancestry and despite a low frequency of obesity. Moreover, the STOP-BMI screening tool for OSA was neither sensitive nor specific among these women. Our data suggest that OSA risk may be independent of BMI and that the current screening tool may not capture the symptoms and risk factors for OSA among midlife women. Support (if any)