Abstract:

Objective To investigate the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Methods One hundred patients with OSAHA were selected, and all completed reflux disease questionnaires (RDQ). Patients were divided into GERD group and non-GERD group according to symptoms of GERD, and GERD symptom score, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and body mass index (BMI) were compared between these two groups. Patients were divided into mild OSAHS group, moderate OSAHS group and severe OSAHS group according to the severity of OSAHS, and GERD symptom score, sleep stage and arterial oxygen saturation(SaO₂) were compared among these three groups. Results The prevalence of GERD in patients with OSAHS were 58%. The symptom score, AHI and BMI of patients with GERD were significantly higher than those of patients without GERD (P<0.05). The number of patients in severe OSAHS group was significantly larger than those in mild OSAHS group and moderate OSAHS group (P<0.05), the degree of anoxia in severe OSAHS group was more severe than that in mild OSAHS group (P<0.01), while there was no significant difference in GERD symptom score among these three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion OSAHS is closely related to GERD, and treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) combined with antireflux drugs may yield better outcomes for patients with OSAHS and pathological GERD.

Key words: obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease, apnea-hypopnea index