Epworth's sleepiness scale in outpatients with different values of arterial blood pressure

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare sleepiness scores of the Epworth scale in patients with different levels of arterial pressure when undergoing outpatient monitoring within the context of clinical evaluation. METHODS: A total of 157 patients selected for outpatient monitoring of arterial pressure during hypertension evaluation were divided into 3 groups: group 1 - normotensive; group 2 - hypertensive; group 3 - resistant hypertensive. For analysis, values > or = 11 were considered as associated with respiratory disturbances during sleep. RESULTS: Seventeen (10.8%) patients in group 1, 112 (71.3%) in group 2, and 28 (17.8%) in group 3, which was composed of aged, more severely hypertensive individuals, were analyzed. Groups were similar relative to sex and body mass index, but different in relation to systolic and diastolic pressure levels and age. Despite an absolute difference, no statistically significant difference occurred between Epworth scores and in the proportion of patients with values > or = 11 (5.9% vs. 18.8% vs. 212.4%; P=0.37). Despite the positive association between degree of sleepiness measured with the scale and the severity of the hypertension, no statistical significance occurred following control by age (p=0.18). CONCLUSION: A positive correlation exists between degree of sleepiness and hypertension severity. The absence of a statistical significance shown in the present study could be due to a beta type of error. Instruments that render this complaint into an objective finding could help in the pursuit of an investigation of respiratory disturbances during sleep in more severely hypertensive patients, and should therefore be studied better

Hypertension in Cameroon associated with high likelihood of obstructive sleep apnea: a pilot study

“…This finding is similar to that reported by other studies [27, 29–31]. The absence of a difference may be as a result of repeated sympathetic nervous system firing during the day which maintains an alert and awake state.…”

Epworth Sleepiness Scale may be an indicator for blood pressure profile and prevalence of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

“…In a study, ESS is not associated with resistant hypertension [46]. In another study, Gus also confirmed a positive relationship between the ESS and hypertension severity in patients >18 years of age; but after correcting for age, the results were not significant [47]. Though both these two studies contradict our independent correlations between ESS and hypertension, they had relative small sample size.…”

Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea by Berlin Questionnaire, But Not Daytime Sleepiness, Is Associated With Resistant Hypertension: A Case-control Study

“…Patients did not have a full clinical examination and the differences did not reach statistical significance after controlling for confounders. 24 Assessing only daytime sleepiness by ESS may be very sensitive but not specific for the diagnosis of OSAS. Therefore, the association between this symptom and hypertension may be less intense.…”