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Association of self-reported nasal blockage with sleep-disordered breathing and excessive daytime sleepiness in Pakistani employed adults

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess prevalence of self-reported nasal congestion and its association with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Pakistani adults employed at a medical university.

Methods

All full-time employees of a medical university (n = 3,470) were delivered a questionnaire that elicited demographic data, symptoms of nasal blockage and SDB and Epworth Sleepiness Scale score. Overnight pulse oximetry was performed on self-reported snorers and a random sample of non-snorers. Supervised polysomnography was performed on subjects with oxygen desaturation index > 5/h. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of nasal blockage with SDB and EDS.

Results

Of 2,497 (72%) responders, 45.2% reported nasal congestion. Self-reported nasal blockage was significantly associated with an increased risk of SDB symptoms: snoring (odds ratio [OR] 1.9), witnessed apnoea (OR, 2.2) and unrefreshing sleep (OR, 1.7). Those with nasal blockage had higher Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (5.5 ± 3.6 vs. 3.9 ± 3.3, p < 0.001) compared with those without nasal blockage. Nasal blockage was associated with increased risk of doziness in seven out of eight items of Epworth Sleepiness Scale score. Oxygen desaturation index and apnoea–hypopnoea index were similar between subjects with and without self-reported nasal blockage.

Conclusion

Self-reported nasal blockage is a common symptom in employed Pakistani adults. Self-reported nasal blockage is significantly associated with symptoms of SDB and EDS but not with respiratory variables on overnight sleep monitoring.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to employees of the Aga Khan University, Karachi, who participated in the study and to research officers for collecting the data. We are indebted to several colleagues for their guidance, assistance and encouragement particularly during the initial stages of study. Finally, we wish to thank the University Research Council for approving the grant to support the study.

Competing interests

None.

Funding

The University Research Council at Aga Khan University supported this research under a research grant award for US $35,000.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kettering General Hospital, Rothwell Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN16 8UZ, UK

    Syed Fayyaz Hussain

  2. Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA

    Yona Keich Cloonan

  3. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Mohammad H. Rahbar

  4. Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design and Analysis Core, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Mohammad H. Rahbar

  5. Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan

    Muhammad Islam

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  1. Syed Fayyaz Hussain
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  2. Yona Keich Cloonan
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  3. Mohammad H. Rahbar
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  4. Muhammad Islam
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Correspondence to Syed Fayyaz Hussain.

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Hussain, S.F., Cloonan, Y.K., Rahbar, M.H. et al. Association of self-reported nasal blockage with sleep-disordered breathing and excessive daytime sleepiness in Pakistani employed adults. Sleep Breath 14, 345–351 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-009-0317-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-009-0317-8

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