Diagnostic delay length and disease severity are the main predictors of sleep apnea in acromegaly patients
8 affiliations
- 1Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Sezione di Endocrinologia, Diabetologia, Andrologia e Nutrizione, Università Federico II di Napoli
- 2Division of Pneumology and Semi‑Intensive Respiratory Therapy, A. Cardarelli Hospital
- 3Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II
- 4Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit of Telese Terme Institute
- 5Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Università Federico II di Napoli
- 6Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”
- 7UNESCO Chair for Health Education and Sustainable Development, University of Naples “Federico II”
- 8ERN Lung
Abstract
Context: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects up to 80% of patients at diagnosis of acromegaly and often persists despite treatment. Currently, patients at risk for OSA are recommended to be identified to offer polygraphy evaluation.
Purpose: To study the prevalence and risk factors for OSA in patients with acromegaly.
Methods: Prospective, single-center study; polygraphy was performed on 36 patients with acromegaly (age 54.1 ± 12.9 years).
Results: OSA was found in 17 patients (47.2%), mostly mild (64.7%). Patients with OSA were older both at diagnosis (p = 0.02) and at polygraphy (p = 0.008), had a longer diagnostic delay (p = 0.003) and higher BMI (p = 0.03). Patients with uncontrolled acromegaly exhibited a significantly higher number of apneas (p=0.02) and obstructive apneas (p=0.04) and had significantly lower minimum oxygen saturations (p=0.02) and a higher percentage of time spent with oxygen saturation <90% (p=0.03) as compared to those with full disease control. Diagnostic delay was the best predictor of apnea-ipopnea index (AHI, p=0.04) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI, p=0.04) scores, independently on BMI. Insulin resistance (p = 0.05), glucose profile impairment (p = 0.05) and STOP-Bang score (p=0.001), but not Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (p = 0.96), were significantly higher in patients with OSA as compared to those without.
Conclusion: Diagnostic delay and patients’ age, rather than disease status, appear to predict the development of OSA and influence its severity. These findings reinforce the importance of early identification of patients at higher risk for OSA.
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BibTeX
@article{pirchio2026diagnostic,
title = {{Diagnostic delay length and disease severity are the main predictors of sleep apnea in acromegaly patients}},
author = {Rosa Pirchio and Renata Simona Auriemma and Stefano Sanduzzi Zamparelli and Paola Bonavolontà and Claudia Merola and Angelo Canora and Claudia Pivonello and Alessandro Sanduzzi Zamparelli and Rosario Pivonello and Annamaria Colao},
journal = {Frontiers in Endocrinology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fendo.2026.1928818},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1928818/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Diagnostic delay length and disease severity are the main predictors of sleep apnea in acromegaly patients
AU - Rosa Pirchio
AU - Renata Simona Auriemma
AU - Stefano Sanduzzi Zamparelli
AU - Paola Bonavolontà
AU - Claudia Merola
AU - Angelo Canora
AU - Claudia Pivonello
AU - Alessandro Sanduzzi Zamparelli
AU - Rosario Pivonello
AU - Annamaria Colao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Frontiers in Endocrinology
DO - 10.3389/fendo.2026.1928818
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1928818/full
AB - Context: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects up to 80% of patients at diagnosis of acromegaly and often persists despite treatment. Currently, patients at risk for OSA are recommended to be identified to offer polygraphy evaluation. Purpose: To study the prevalence and risk factors for OSA in patients with acromegaly. Methods: Prospective, single-center study; polygraphy was performed on 36 patients with acromegaly (age 54.1 ± 12.9 years). Results: OSA was found in 17 patients (47.2%), mostly mild (64.7%). Patients with OSA were older both at diagnosis (p = 0.02) and at polygraphy (p = 0.008), had a longer diagnostic delay (p = 0.003) and higher BMI (p = 0.03). Patients with uncontrolled acromegaly exhibited a significantly higher number of apneas (p=0.02) and obstructive apneas (p=0.04) and had significantly lower minimum oxygen saturations (p=0.02) and a higher percentage of time spent with oxygen saturation <90% (p=0.03) as compared to those with full disease control. Diagnostic delay was the best predictor of apnea-ipopnea index (AHI, p=0.04) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI, p=0.04) scores, independently on BMI. Insulin resistance (p = 0.05), glucose profile impairment (p = 0.05) and STOP-Bang score (p=0.001), but not Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (p = 0.96), were significantly higher in patients with OSA as compared to those without. Conclusion: Diagnostic delay and patients’ age, rather than disease status, appear to predict the development of OSA and influence its severity. These findings reinforce the importance of early identification of patients at higher risk for OSA.
SN - 1664-2392
ER -