Study Objectives:To investigate the difference in sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) prevalence and severity after an index and recurrent stroke.Methods:In a sample of 40 subjects, home sleep apnea tests were performed a median of 10 days after an index ischemic stroke and 14 days after a recurrent ischemic stroke. A respiratory event index (REI) of 10 events/h (apneas plus hypopneas per hour of recording) was used to define clinically significant SDB. The relative difference in REI or relative SDB prevalence was used to compare the post-recurrent stroke measurement with that made after the index stroke, and was expressed as a rate ratio (RR) or prevalence ratio (PR). Adjusted regression models (negative binomial for REI and log binomial for SDB) included change in body mass index and time between the events.Results:The median time from index to recurrent stroke was 330.5 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 103.5, 766.5). The median REI was 17.5 (IQR: 9.0, 32.0) after the index stroke and 18.0 (IQR: 11.0, 25.5) after the recurrent stroke. The within-subject median difference was zero (IQR: 9, 7.5). The relative difference in REI was not significant in unadjusted or adjusted (RR: 0.97 [95% confidence interval: 0.76, 1.24]) models. The prevalence of SDB was not different after the recurrent stroke compared with the index stroke, in unadjusted or adjusted (PR: 1.10 [95% confidence interval: 0.91, 1.32]) models.Conclusions:In this within-subject, longitudinal study, neither severity nor prevalence of SDB worsened after recurrent stroke.
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