BACKGROUND: Awareness regarding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in diabetic patients remains low. No inquiry into the quality of life of diabetics with OSA has been reported.

OBJECTIVES: Our primary objective was to determine the prevalence and associations of high OSA risk in adult diabetic Filipinos consulting at Philippine General Hospital. Secondary objectives included determining prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness and the quality of life.

METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study. Saint Luke's Medical Center - Obstructive Sleep Apnea Clinical Score (SLMC-OSACS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life questionnaire (ADDQoL) were used.

RESULTS: 317 subjects were recruited. Majority had type 2 diabetes. 21 percent had high OSA risk. True OSA prevalence is estimated at 14.1 percent. High OSA risk is associated with hypertension (68.1 percent vs. 49 percent, p=0.004), type II obesity (19.4 percent vs. 7.8 percent, p=0.004), increased waist circumference (mean 89.06+10.87 cm vs. 85.37+10.07 cm, p = 0.008), increased hip circumference (mean 99.73 + 9.36 cm vs. 96.62+7.68 cm, p=0.004), increased neck circumference (mean 36.09+3.66 cm vs. 34.85+4.19 cm, p=0.025) elevated serum triglyceride (mean 163.78 + 73.77 mg/dL vs. 138.73 + 67.28 mg/dL, p=0.007), metabolic syndrome (68.1 percent vs. 51 percent, p=0.011), and higher ESS score (mean 10.86 + 4.97 vs. 9.13 + 4.85, p=0.008). No significant difference in mean ADDQoL score was noted, although low risk subjects were more likely to report a good general quality of life (34.7 percent, p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS: The 14.1 percent estimated OSA prevalence is significant in light of its associations with cardiovascular risk factors. SLMC-OSACS and ESS are inexpensive bedside tools for OSA screening.