ORIGINAL ARTICLE Using a generic measure of quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea Jorge Rey de Castro & Edmundo Rosales-Mayor & Jenny Ferreyra-Pereyra Received: 7 April 2010 / Revised: 26 September 2010 / Accepted: 6 October 2010 # Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract Purpose To evaluate the utility of a Multicultural Quality of Life Index (MQLI) in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea (OSAH). Methods Physical examination, MQLI and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were applied to participants. In addition, a polysomnography or a respiratory polygraphy was carried out. Results A total of 221 patients participated, 186 (84%) males, mean age 48.8±11.8 years. The MQLI scores 7were .73±1.45 and the ESS 9.9±5.2. A total of 188 (85%) patients had OSAH: 40 (21%) mild, 43 (23%) moderate, and 105 (56%) severe. The average time to answer the MQLI was 3.5 min. Cronbach’ s alpha index was 0.930. MQLI score in patients with and without OSAH was 7.73 versus 7.75 (p =0.949); and by severity: non-OSAH 7.75, mild 8.04, moderate 8.14, and severe 7.44 (p =0.023). There was a slight correlation between MQLI score and Apnea-Hypopnea Index in total population, but it disappeared when we analyzed by severity. MQLI and ESS correlation was R = -0.3256 (p <0.0001). Conclusions The MQLI has limitations in identifying quality of life (QOL) alterations and a poor correlation with severity in OSAH patients. The MQLI quantifies QOL in a general way. We recommend supplementing the QOL evaluation with disease-specific instruments. Keywords Quality of life . Obstructive sleep apnea . Sleepiness . Polysomnography . Respiratory polygraphy Introduction Breathing Sleep Disorders (BSD) cause discontinuous events which fragment sleep and/or lead to intermittent oxyhemoglobin desaturation. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), BSD includes Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea (OSAH), Central Sleep Apnea Syndrome, and Obesity-Hypoventilation Syndrome, among others, and are a frequent cause of consultation in everyday clinical practice [1]. OSAH is characterized by frequent episodes of air pass limitation during sleep as a consequence of an anatomy-functional alteration on the upper airway, which results in collapse causing intermittent lowering of hemoglobin oxygen saturation (HbO2Sat) and micro-arousals. Non-refreshing sleep, sleepiness, daytime tiredness, neuropsychiatric disorders and cardiovascular disease are consequences [2]. The prevalence of OSAH fluctuates from 4 to 6% in men and 2 to 4% in women, depending on the scoring criteria and evaluated populations [3, 4]. OSAH has been a documented risk factor for high blood pressure [5–8], coronary disease [9, 10], stroke [11–13], car accidents while driving [14, 15], and death due to J. Rey de Castro (*) : E. Rosales-Mayor : J. Ferreyra-Pereyra Centro de Trastornos Respiratorios del Sueño (CENTRES), Clínica Anglo Americana, Av. Alfredo Salazar 314, San Isidro, Lima 27, Peru e-mail: jorgerey@speedy.com.pe J. Rey de Castro : E. Rosales-Mayor Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru J. Rey de Castro : E. Rosales-Mayor Grupo de Investigación en Sueño (GIS), Lima, Peru E. Rosales-Mayor Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Sleep Breath DOI 10.1007/s11325-010-0429-1