Hello all, I just picked up my sleep study results and I am very confused as to why I was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea in need of a CPAP study...

F, 28yrs old, 170lbs, 5'2 (yes, overweight, but sleepiness started years before I gained the extra weight that I haven't been able to get off)

Sleep onset: 30seconds, sleep efficiency 80%
21% time spent in REM, 9% N1, 49% N2, 21% N3
1 Central Apnea
3 Obstructive Hypopneas
98 respiratory effort related arrousals
RDI of 15 events per hour with oxygen saturation nadir of 93%
Blood pressure low to normal
A/H Index .2 in NREM and 2.2 in REM, Total of .6
36 spontaneous arousals
No snoring and 1 periodic leg movement
Slept on back entire night (not normal for me, I just couldn't turn over with all the stuff on me)

What's this all mean? Is it moderate apnea? Do I need the CPAP?

My mslt test showed I was not pathologically sleepy. (SO of 6min-15min with no REM)

PS this was done at an accredited sleep clinic by a board certified doctor.

thank you, any advice would be great!

RERAs are arousals caused by resiratory events that didn't quite qualify as hypopneas or apneas but which are arousals and as such interruptions of restful sleep. 98 of them occuring of the course of 6 hours of sleep amounts to a disturbance of your sleep every 4 minutes or so.
RDI is the respiratory disturbance index, i.e. 15 events per hour, once every 4 minutes your sleep was distrubed.
36 spontaneous arousals, i.e. arousals for no verified reason occurred every 10 minutes over a 6 hour sleep time.

Since no sleep time was reported I am just assuming a 6 hour sleep period. You may have slept even less than 6 hours making your sleep disturbances even greater than my estimates.

Yes, it does appear you would benefit from CPAP therapy.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

I'm wondering if the dr called it severe, instead of mild, because for insurance purposes....since you have additional problems (the hypopneas/arousal to such a significant degree just saying mild would not be representative of your sleep disturbance....It also might not qualify you for insurance coverage of a cpap which the dr probably wants to try and see if it would improve the arousals.

ahr wrote:

Hello all, I just picked up my sleep study results and I am very confused as to why I was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea in need of a CPAP study...

F, 28yrs old, 170lbs, 5'2 (yes, overweight, but sleepiness started years before I gained the extra weight that I haven't been able to get off)

Sleep onset: 30seconds, sleep efficiency 80%
21% time spent in REM, 9% N1, 49% N2, 21% N3
1 Central Apnea
3 Obstructive Hypopneas
98 respiratory effort related arrousals
RDI of 15 events per hour with oxygen saturation nadir of 93%
Blood pressure low to normal
A/H Index .2 in NREM and 2.2 in REM, Total of .6
36 spontaneous arousals
No snoring and 1 periodic leg movement
Slept on back entire night (not normal for me, I just couldn't turn over with all the stuff on me)

What's this all mean? Is it moderate apnea? Do I need the CPAP?

My mslt test showed I was not pathologically sleepy. (SO of 6min-15min with no REM)

PS this was done at an accredited sleep clinic by a board certified doctor.

thank you, any advice would be great!

Well, technically you do not have obstructive sleep apnea, according to the data that you posted. You seem to have moderate Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), so long as the scale for OSA AHI corresponds to the RERA index.

Your AHI in REM was a minor 2.2 and that is with 20+% time spent in REM.

UARS is tough right now because, as far as I know (and I inquired about this yesterday), insurance companies do not have set reimbursement criteria. There have been stories posted about insurance companies denying claims. IF, and its not standard, insurance companies will start using RDI instead of AHI, then you will be fine.

Cpap should help, but some physicians would recommend other therapies before CPAP. Of course, sleep labs will want to treat with CPAP before anything else. I am not telling you to accept or refuse the treatment, however some physicians suggest breathe right strips (or nozovent devices), then nasal sprays, THEN Cpap. Its totally your call. CPAP will most likely help, which is always a great backup, IMO.

Thank you for the advice! This came as a shock to me since I was being tested for Narcolepsy. I always had a hunch that I had sleep apnea since when I was a child I remember two distinct occassions where I woke up gasping for air with the worst pain ever in my throat (like the feeling of being under water too long and then finally getting air) and I've only had maybe 2 more occurances that I remember as an adult. My mom says my dad will stop breathing in his sleep (he's only 5'4, 130lbs, mid-70s) So there was always that thought it may just run in the family - a family of which has never had a sleep study and doubt will ever do so. I guess when I didn't fit the typical symptoms - other than EDS, I just didn't think I'd have it. I was athletic and in great shape til about 3 years ago, since then I just keep putting on the pounds no matter how hard I try to get it off - and now I have trouble breathing during exercise - don't know if it's related to the nighttime problems?

Anyways...  I'm still a little scared of the cpap and still in denial. I go in next week for my next overnight study with the cpap. Today I'm going to an ENT to check on my throat (it's been bothering me since I had mono a few years ago) - maybe that's part of the cause?

Thanks again!

The ENT suggested a UPPP since my tonsils are enlarged and it would be beneficial for someone my age with not a severe case. She said it'd help my neck go back to normal size (It's been swollen since mono 3 yrs ago) I've already read countless stories about the horror of the surgery, but haven't found any stories by anyone around my age that didn't snore or have a moderate case of OSA. Since I'm still in the dark about the world of OSA - would the surgery or dental device be option to explore? I'm still going to give cpap a try - I just don't like the idea of only one road to take... I'm scared.  

Yeah, well, just keep in mind what the surgeons take out they can't put back in. And EVERY surgery creates some scar tissue.

Then read up on UPPP surgery and how extreme it is. Read stories from those who have had it done hoping to avoid CPAP therapy (why anyone would consider UPPP surgery over CPAP boggles my mind!). AT best UPPP surgery only seems to buy a little time, a couple of years, MAYBE. I would STRONGLY suggest that you forget about UPPP surgery. But - to each his own.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.