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May 10, 2026SLEEP0 citations

0585 Prevalence, Risk Factors and Respiratory Events Distribution in Adult with Down Syndrome

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RBRohan BellaryJKJawad KahirKEKarim El-Kersh

Key Points

  • This study aims to assess the prevalence and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea in adults with Down syndrome compared to matched controls.
  • Single-center retrospective study involving adults with Down syndrome and matched controls
  • Assessed OSA severity using overnight polysomnography and apnea-hypopnea index
  • Compared data on sleep patterns, oxygen levels, and sleep stages between groups
  • OSA prevalence was 82% in adults with Down syndrome versus 63% in controls (p=0.028)
  • Odds of abnormal AHI (≥15) were 5.96 times higher in the Down syndrome group (p=0.038)
  • Increased apnea-hypopnea index and lower oxygen saturation levels were observed in the Down syndrome group compared to controls.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in adults with Down syndrome (DS) due to various risk factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and respiratory event distribution in adults with DS compared to randomly assigned age, gender, and BMI matched normal adults presented with snoring. Methods This was a single-center retrospective study involving adults with DS who underwent first-time overnight polysomnography (PSG). OSA severity was categorized by obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) as normal ( 5 events/hr), mild (5–15 events/h), moderate (15.1–30 events/h), or severe (≥ 30 events/h). Results Twenty-eight DS adults PSGs were compared with 28 age, gender, and BMI controlled snoring adults. The mean age was 32.8 years, 64% were females, and the mean BMI was 36.1 in both groups. Hypothyroidism (50% vs 10.7%, p=0.002) and congenital heart disease (32% vs 7%, p=0.035) were significantly more common in DS. OSA prevalence was 82% in DS and 63% in controls. DS had increased wake after sleep onset time (p=0.028) and N3 (p=0.033) and decreased N2 (p=0.010) and REM (p=0.014) sleep compared to the control group. PSG demonstrated significantly higher AHI 20.6 (8.8, 60.5) vs 7.1 (2.6, 20.6), p=0.010; worse SpO2 nadir 79.0 (71.0, 86.5) vs 86.5 (80.0, 90.0), p=0.004; and higher oxygen desaturation time spent below 88%, 4.5 (0.4, 37.4) vs 0.2 (0.0, 3.0), p=0.004 in DS. After adjusting for age and BMI, the odds of having an abnormal AHI (≥15) are 5.96 times higher in the Down Syndrome group compared to the control group (p=0.038). Total median REM time was less in DS with OSA (p=0.014). Non-REM AHI (p=0.019) and supine AHI (p=0.018) were higher in DS compared to the control group. Conclusion Adults with DS had a high prevalence of OSA compared to matched adults, and more than two-thirds of the DS patients had moderate to severe OSA. After adjusting for age and BMI, the odds of having greater than moderate OSA were higher in the Down Syndrome group. Respiratory events occurred more in non-REM and supine sleep in DS group compared to the control. Support (if any) No Financial Support

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Cite This Study

Bellary et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a002191c8f74e3340f9c7b1https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsag091.0584
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