Is Sleep Apnea Worse in the Winter?

Abstract

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the seasonal variability of AHI values among patients with sleep apnea. Patients and Methods: In order to conduct the retrospective study, we accepted 304 patients (223 male and 81 female) between May 2014 to May 2015 into our study at Mugla Sitki Kocman University Medical faculty of sleep disorders clinic. Patients were divided into four groups according to the timing of the PSG: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Results: We reviewed the records of patients, including their PSGs, and found that their AHI values were comparable across seasons. The average AHI value for males was 34.95 +/- 29.95 and 21.88 +/- 2.76 for females; we observed no significant statistical difference among the four groups (both males and females) in terms of AHI. Conclusion: Although patient complaints increased due to exacerbation of diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis in the winter, this study did not reflect a significant change in AHI values. Therefore, PSG examinations do not need to be repeated in different seasons.