TY - JOUR
T1 - Sleep related breathing disorders in older men
T2 - A search for underlying mechanisms
AU - McGinty, Dennis
AU - Littner, Michael
AU - Beahm, Elisabeth
AU - Ruiz-Primo, Elizabeth
AU - Young, Earl
AU - Sowers, James
N1 - Funding Information:
tThis research was supported by the Veterans Administration.
PY - 1982
Y1 - 1982
N2 - -The incidence of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) associated with hemoglobin desaturation was determined by nocturnal polygraphic evaluations in 26 healthy men, aged 55-70 years. Sixteen subjects (62%) had abnormal rates of at least 12 episodes per hour of sleep: 8 had occlusive, and 8 had central apnea or hypopnea. During waking ten of 16 SRBD subjects and only one subject without SRBDs exhibited either an elevated nasopharyngeal airway resistance (n=4) or a reduced ventilatory response to hypercapnia (n=4) and/or hypoxia (n=3). However, these abnormalities were not related to the type or severity of SRBDs, and 6 subjects with SRBDs demonstrated no respiratory defect. We conclude that SRBDs have a very high incidence in older males and are not usually secondary to pulmonary cardiac, neurological, or behavioral disorders. Additionally, we hypothesize that abnormalities in ventilatory control or upper airway resistance contribute to SRBDs, but depression of brain stem reticular formation activity during sleep plays a primary role in these disorders. Factors related to both aging and SRBDs are reviewed. These include reduced chemoreceptor responses, altered steroid hormone metabolism, and use and metabolism of hypnotic drugs and alcohol.
AB - -The incidence of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) associated with hemoglobin desaturation was determined by nocturnal polygraphic evaluations in 26 healthy men, aged 55-70 years. Sixteen subjects (62%) had abnormal rates of at least 12 episodes per hour of sleep: 8 had occlusive, and 8 had central apnea or hypopnea. During waking ten of 16 SRBD subjects and only one subject without SRBDs exhibited either an elevated nasopharyngeal airway resistance (n=4) or a reduced ventilatory response to hypercapnia (n=4) and/or hypoxia (n=3). However, these abnormalities were not related to the type or severity of SRBDs, and 6 subjects with SRBDs demonstrated no respiratory defect. We conclude that SRBDs have a very high incidence in older males and are not usually secondary to pulmonary cardiac, neurological, or behavioral disorders. Additionally, we hypothesize that abnormalities in ventilatory control or upper airway resistance contribute to SRBDs, but depression of brain stem reticular formation activity during sleep plays a primary role in these disorders. Factors related to both aging and SRBDs are reviewed. These include reduced chemoreceptor responses, altered steroid hormone metabolism, and use and metabolism of hypnotic drugs and alcohol.
KW - Aging
KW - Chemoreceptor responses 0
KW - Desaturation
KW - Sleep fragmentation
KW - Sleep-related breathing disorders
KW - Upper airway resistance
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U2 - 10.1016/0197-4580(82)90022-7
DO - 10.1016/0197-4580(82)90022-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 6763156
AN - SCOPUS:0020307113
SN - 0197-4580
VL - 3
SP - 337
EP - 350
JO - Neurobiology of Aging
JF - Neurobiology of Aging
IS - 4
ER -