Association between Measures of Waist Circumference, Neck Circumference, and Body Mass Index in Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by episodes of upper-airway obstruction and has been increasingly recognized as an important cardiovascular risk factor, having an intimate relationship with obesity and metabolic disorders. Objectives: Our goal was to investigate the association between measures of waist circumference, neck circumference, and body mass index in sleep apnea syndrome. Method: We reviewed the medical records of 50 patients with complaints of daytime sleepiness and snoring and collected the following data: weight, height, neck circumference, waist circumference, and apnea-hypopnea index. Results: Although body mass index in sleep apnea syndrome has significant relationship with severity of obstructive sleep apnea, waist circumference was more correlated with the apnea-hypopnea index. The best anthropometric factor in determining the severity of sleep apnea was neck circumference. Neck circumference is an index of central obesity correlated with waist circumference. Conclusion: Neck circumference is the anthropometric data evaluated more associated with the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.