Correlation of Daytime sleepiness with Respiratory muscle strength and Hand grip strength in obstructive sleep apnea patients

The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between daytime sleepiness, respiratory muscle strength, and hand grip strength in obstructive sleep apnea patients. To achieve this, the study measured daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Respiratory Muscle Strength (RMS) through Maximum Inspiratory Pressure (MIP) and Maximum Expiratory Pressure (MEP) by using a respiratory pressure meter and hand grip strength by using a handheld dynamometer.

It was cross- sectional, observational and correlational study of 50 OSA patients. They were enrolled after fulfilling the inclusion criteria and were willing to participate in study after obtaining the written consent, the participant was administered epworth sleepiness scale, made to assess respiratory and hand grip muscle strength in pulmonary medicine outpatient department at tertiary health care hospital. Data was analysed.

The results demonstrated a significant strong negative correlation between daytime sleepiness (measured by ESS) and respiratory muscle strength, with a correlation coefficient of -0.604 for MIP and -0.629 for MEP, both with a p-value of less than 0.001. This suggests that as daytime sleepiness increases, respiratory muscle strength decreases in OSA patients. Additionally, there was a significant weak negative correlation between ESS and hand grip strength (r=-0.361, p=0.01), indicating that daytime sleepiness increases then hand grip strength reduces.

This study findings suggests that higher levels of daytime sleepiness in OSA patients are associated with reduced respiratory and hand grip strength, potentially due to mechanisms like intermittent hypoxia, oxidative stress, and sleep fragmentation. These physiological disruptions may contribute to muscle weakness, further impairing respiratory function and overall physical function in OSA patients.

The study highlights the importance of managing daytime sleepiness and improving muscle function through exercise such as respiratory muscle training and hand grip training to enhance patient outcomes. Hence, this study provides important insights into the correlation between daytime sleepiness, respiratory and hand grip muscle strength in OSA patients.