How is the sleep apnea of GH excess different from the sleep apnea of thyroid hormone deficiency?
- GH excess is associated with a high proportion of OSA and central sleep apnea, whereas hypothyroidism is almost uniformly associated with OSA. Up to 60% of patients with acromegaly are eventually found to have sleep apnea by PSG studies.
- In one series, over 30% had central sleep apnea. Endoscopy revealed little occlusive posterior tongue movement during sleep, indicating that this is not from macroglossia.
- The mechanism for central sleep apnea in patients with acromegaly is not clear.