Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with Parkinson’s disease being investigated for obstructive sleep apnoea: an observational analysis in the Brazilian Amazon

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, representing about 1% of the population over 60 years old. Literature data demonstrate that in PD, sleep disorders are observed in up to 90% of patients. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is diagnosed in more than 50% of these patients, and its presence in PD can impact the quality of life by increasing daytime sleepiness, thereby negatively influencing both motor and non-motor symptoms of the disease. Understanding the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of PD patients being investigated for OSA is essential to improve the diagnosis and management of these concomitant conditions. Objective: To analyse the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of PD patients being investigated for OSA. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study, with a sample composed of PD patients from the neurology clinic at the Adriano Jorge Hospital Foundation (FHAJ), Manaus-AM. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee under Certificate of Presentation of Ethical Consideration No. 58684622.2.0000.0007. Patients underwent otorhinolaryngological and neurological evaluations, had their physical data and vital signs collected, and their clinical and epidemiological data were gathered after signing the Informed Consent Form. Patients were also subjected to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive screening. Results: Of the 33 patients, the minimum and maximum ages were 31 and 88 years, respectively, with a minimum disease duration of 1 year and a maximum of 33 years, with an average disease duration of 8.1 years, a coefficient of variation of 79.8%, and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 5.7%-10.3%. Regarding neck circumference, the average was 34.5cm, with a minimum of 20cm and a maximum of 44cm, a coefficient of variation of 5.2%, and a 95% CI of 5.7-10.3%. The majority were male (57.6%-19 patients) and 42.5% (14 patients) were female. Most individuals were married (66.7%), 21.2% were single, 9.1% divorced, and 3% widowed. Considering the body mass index, 48.5% of the patients were overweight and 12.1% had grade 1 obesity, while the remaining 39.4% were eutrophic. Only 3% of the patients had postgraduate education, 24.2% had completed higher education, 57.6% had completed secondary education, and 15.2% had only primary education. Conclusion: The majority of PD patients in this study are male, with an average age of 62 years, married, overweight, and with an average disease duration of 8 years. There was no association with low education levels. This information is crucial for a better understanding of the characteristics of PD, thereby contributing to the identification of risk factors, improving diagnosis, and developing more effective management strategies for this population.