Epidemiological investigation of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in pilots

Objective To investigate the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in pilots and to provide reference on prevention and cure of OSAHS in pilots. Methods Two hundred and thirty-six pilots were randomly picked and were asked to fill out a questionnaire about Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) score. Their age, smoking and drinking habit were gathered. Their neck circumference, height, body weight and body mass index (BMI) were also measured. The sleepiness of pilots were monitored by nocturnal oxygen saturation, apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and other indicators. Results The 236 pilots were divided into three groups according to the ESS and sleep monitoring results: no snoring group (n=207), simple snoring group (n=26) and OASHS group (n=3). The prevalence of OSAHS was 1.27%. Age, smoking and drinking habits were significantly different among three groups (χ2=17.533, 9.870, 13.302, P<0.01). ESS, AHI, neck circumference and BMI were significantly different among three groups (F=14.231-92.801, P<0.01). Conclusions Pilots′ OSAHS are correlated to such factors as their age, smoking, drinking, neck circumference and BMI. The prevalence of OSAHS is lower in pilots than that in common people. Since OSAHS can cause metabolic disorder, cognitive decline and other clinical manifestations, it may become a potential risk to flight operation, and thus attention should be paid on detection and treatment of OSAHS in pilots. Key words: Sleep apnea syndromes; Prevalence; Cross-sectional studies; Pilots