Population-based study of facial morphology and excessive daytime somnolence

Studies in patients seeking attention for nasal obstruction or pharyngeal disorders suggest that craniofacial abnormalities correlate with obstructive sleep apnea, but there is little information on the relevance of this association in the population at large. We aimed to determine whether characteristics of facial morphology correlate with excessive daytime somnolence (EDS) in a population-based, door-to-door survey. Residents of a village in rural Ecuador were screened with the Epworth sleepiness scale to assess EDS and underwent physical examination with attention to nasal septum deflection, mandibular retrognathia and presence of Friedman's palate position type IV. From 665 participants aged ≥40 years, 155 had EDS, 98 had nasal septum deflection, 47 had mandibular retrognathia and 528 had a Friedman's palate position type IV. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and nightly sleep hours, persons with nasal septum deflection were twice as likely to have EDS (p = 0.009). The other two variables were not associated with EDS. Identification of nasal septum deflection may be a cost-effective method of detecting persons at risk for obstructive sleep apnea in remote areas where sophisticated technology is not readily available.