Anterior nasal resistance in obese children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Objectives/Hypothesis To evaluate nasal resistance in obese children with and without obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), study the correlation between nasal resistance and severity of OSAS using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and examine the association of gender and body mass index (BMI) with this measurement. Study Design Retrospective analysis. Methods Active anterior rhinomanometry was used to determine anterior nasal resistance (aNR) during wakefulness in the supine position during tidal breathing. Thirty obese children with OSAS (aged 13.8 ± 2.6 years, BMI z score 2.6 ± 0.4) and 32 matched obese controls (aged 13.6 ± 2.3 years, BMI z score 2.4 ± 0.4), were studied. Unpaired t tests and Spearman correlation were performed. Results The OSAS group had significantly higher aNR than the non-OSAS group during inspiration (P = .012) and expiration (P = .003). A significant correlation between inspiratory aNR and AHI was found for the OSAS group (r = 0.39, P = .04). The aNR did not correlate with BMI z score or with either gender. Conclusions We noted a higher aNR in obese children with OSAS as compared to obese controls, and the aNR on inspiration correlated significantly with AHI. These findings suggest that a causal or augmentative effect of high inspiratory aNR may exist for obese children who exhibit OSAS.