Change in apnea hypopnea index and sleep quality following treatment in acromegaly.

BACKGROUND

Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) is a common problem in acromegaly. This study examines changes in apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and sleep quality following treatment for acromegaly.

METHODS

Subjects with active acromegaly underwent polysomnography to identify SAS and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSI) questionnaire for the assessment of subjective sleep quality at baseline, which were repeated after treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were recruited. Obstructive SAS was present in 85% and poor sleep quality was reported in 65% patients. AHI positively correlated with age, duration of disease, male gender, and PSQI score. After treatment, there was a significant decrease in tumor volume (72%) and insulin-like growth hormone (IGF-1) levels (44%), although IGF-1 normalization was seen in only 34% subjects. There was a significant reduction in mean AHI (35 ± 20 vs 23 ± 19; p = 0.008) and mean PSQI (7.8 ± 3.9 vs 5.6 ± 3.6; p = 0.002) after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Mean AHI and mean PSQI improved significantly after treatment, although normalization of IGF-1 was seen in only one-third of patients.