Apnea and Hypopnea Durations

[B_4]

On my sleep study report, it reports the average and maximum duration of my apneas and my hypopneas in addition to my AHI. I am curious to know what these statistics are for others. Although my OSA is mild I believe the duration of my events is long.

AHI 7.8
Apnea - average duration 53.6 seconds and longest duration 120.8 seconds
Hypopnea - average duration 33.1 seconds and longest duration 53.1 seconds


Thanks in advance!

[6PtStar]

Welcome and Gig Em!!

Let me see if I can help. Your AHI of 7.8 is in the mild catagory, which is good. Below 5 is considered normal, 5 to 15 is mild, 15 to 30 is moderate and over 30 is severe. But your length of apnea duration is not so good. My apneas generally last around 12 seconds. What it means is that you did not breathe for up to 120.8 seconds. Try holding your breathe for that long. That is a long time for your brain to be without oxygen.

I generally don't worry too much about hypopneas. They are shallow breathing, generally around 50% of normal. You are still getting oxygen.

Jerry Class of 1964

[Guest]

Howdy Jerry!

Thanks for the reply. Due to the duration of my events I was at a state of not breathing or partially obstructed 8% of the evening. So i started wondering if # of events is really the measure, or is it # of events times duration to determine the percent of time that is obstructed. O2 saturation is a good measure also, mine only got down to 90%. My titration study is tonight.

Anyway , this is why I was curious what others average event durations were.

[OutaSync]

Your events are way too long. Thank goodness your titration is scheduled for tonight. I hope they don't make you wait too long before setting you up with a CPAP.

Come back and let us know how it goes.

Bev

[B_4]

Your events are way too long. Thank goodness your titration is scheduled for tonight. I hope they don't make you wait too long before setting you up with a CPAP.

Come back and let us know how it goes.

Bev

So, does that mean that my apnea is still mild? I'll have to ask my PCP these questions but it appears that # of events should not be the only indicator of severity.

[M.D.Hosehead]

So, does that mean that my apnea is still mild? I'll have to ask my PCP these questions but it appears that # of events should not be the only indicator of severity.

You're thinking is correct. AHI is the number of events per hour, but says nothing about the severity of each event.

I'm sure they were also measuring the O2 level in your blood. That does indicate severity; find out your O2 level during the episodes.

[brazospearl]

Howdy, B_4, and welcome to the forum! I think your logic is correct that the length of events is essential data when thinking of describing severity of OSA. 15 events of 2 seconds each v. 2 events of 40 seconds each; which is more severe? Wishing you an easy time and lots of good data at your titration tonight. Let us know how it goes!

[B_4]

Thanks brazospearl. CPAP will impact what I can do with my son scouting but I am starting to get hypertensive, high pulse etc. I'm chilling at home before heading out to the sleep center in an hour.

I still can not believe that I did not breath for 120 seconds.

[Sandra]

You must have been pretty blue by then!
Good luck tonight, and yes, do let us know how you make out!

[B_4]

The titration study went well. It took me a little longer to go to sleep though. I never realized how much air those masks push, even at 4 cm and when I talk there is a flood of air coming from my mouth! I tried two masks, both by ResMed. One was the Swift LT and the other was a Mirage Activa. The Mirage Activa was easier to exhale into I thought but it was a lot less comfortable so I slept in the Swift LT nasal pillow. I believe the machine was a ResMed S8.

I feel fairly rested even though my sleep was interupted last night. The tech asked me to stop sleeping on my side at one point. We'll see when my Dr. gets the report. I'll be curious to compare it with my first study.

[LoQ]

I generally don't worry too much about hypopneas. They are shallow breathing, generally around 50% of normal. You are still getting oxygen.

Some of us only have hypopneas to begin with. I may still be "getting oxygen," but I'm not getting anywhere near enough, and I worry about hypopneas a lot. Not all of us can ignore hypopneas, and maybe B_4 does need to worry about them.

[Razorback]

Not to hijack this thread- but am curious if there is any way to read the length of OA and H on a Resmed M series machine using Encore Viewer? I only see short on wide green dashes etc.

[Goofproof]

It sounds like you are prone to mouthbreathing, (Many are), you should use a Full Face Mask, or you may have to tape to make your treatment a success. In order for treatment to work, the pressure has to be trapped in your airway, that's what keeps your airway open. Jim

[Calist]

On my sleep study report, it reports the average and maximum duration of my apneas and my hypopneas in addition to my AHI. I am curious to know what these statistics are for others. Although my OSA is mild I believe the duration of my events is long.

AHI 7.8
Apnea - average duration 53.6 seconds and longest duration 120.8 seconds
Hypopnea - average duration 33.1 seconds and longest duration 53.1 seconds


Thanks in advance!

Don't listen to them.

AHI 7.8 is normal. You probably just had a couple of hypopneas in REM which is why they want you to be titrated. The average apnea of 53.6 is either artifact or it was a transitional central that got flagged by the report menu. Either way, it's bogus. The hypopnea however is probably a bit more accurate. I'm guessing REM events 30secsonds a piece which isn't too bad but it will make you REM starved and sleepy. Five or ten years it could start developing into hypertension and cardio problems but for right now it's just going to cause sleep fragmentation. Longest Hypopnea duration 53.1, bogus once again. There is no way you are going to get a minute long hypopnea with an AHI of 7.8.

If you want something a bit more accurate, look at the sa02 graph and line it up with the sleep staging graph. See how the sa02 disturbances line up perfectly with REM? (or I should say 'Rem Attempts') those are your events.

[B_4]

On my sleep study report, it reports the average and maximum duration of my apneas and my hypopneas in addition to my AHI. I am curious to know what these statistics are for others. Although my OSA is mild I believe the duration of my events is long.

AHI 7.8
Apnea - average duration 53.6 seconds and longest duration 120.8 seconds
Hypopnea - average duration 33.1 seconds and longest duration 53.1 seconds


Thanks in advance!

Don't listen to them.

AHI 7.8 is normal. You probably just had a couple of hypopneas in REM which is why they want you to be titrated. The average apnea of 53.6 is either artifact or it was a transitional central that got flagged by the report menu. Either way, it's bogus. The hypopnea however is probably a bit more accurate. I'm guessing REM events 30secsonds a piece which isn't too bad but it will make you REM starved and sleepy. Five or ten years it could start developing into hypertension and cardio problems but for right now it's just going to cause sleep fragmentation. Longest Hypopnea duration 53.1, bogus once again. There is no way you are going to get a minute long hypopnea with an AHI of 7.8.

If you want something a bit more accurate, look at the sa02 graph and line it up with the sleep staging graph. See how the sa02 disturbances line up perfectly with REM? (or I should say 'Rem Attempts') those are your events.

Calist:



I am already developing hypertension and my last echo noted some thickenning of the left ventrical,"Mild left ventrical hypertrophy". You are probably correct that I am REM starved, my REM was 16% of my sleep time and my worst O2 was during REM. I am also dog tired today.

All I know to do is to follow my Dr's advise. As far as being compliant with therapy when it comes to that, My gradfather died in his late 40's of a heart attack and my mother died at 51 of a heart attack in her sleep. I'd like to meet my grandchildren one day, so you can say I am motivated to do as prescribed by my Drs.