Interpreting results

[sterobinson]

Downloaded and installed SleepyHead on my Mac and threw my memory card in from my CPAP and it shows all my readings that in the past only the hospital could show me.

Anyway, last nights results are

AHI 6.88
(HYPOPNEA 4.88 OBSTRUCTIVE 1.63 CLEAR AIRWAY 0.38)
VSnore2 3.38
RERA INDEX 0.50
HOURS PER NIGHT 7.59
PRESSURE 8.50
AVERAGE TOTAL LEAKS 31.09
95% TOTAL LEAKS

Some of it is easy to understand, but not sure how the AHI is made up from the 3 readings in brackets and what they mean.

Also, what is the total leaks reading telling me ?

Thanks

Steve

[James @ Intus]

Interesting stuff Steve, we love stats! Certainly good ones, like AHI 6 and a bit, which is quite good.

So AHI is made up of the Apnoea Index (AI) and Hypopnoea Index (HI) which together hence is AHI. 4.88 + 1.63 = 6.51 proper AHI. WHat they mean with Clear Airway is a stoppage that is not Obstructive in nature. Most machines call it a Central apnoea, though it may be Upper Airway Resistance or any other event the machine can't quite put its finger on. Considering it's 0.38 I wuldn't worry about it much if it stays like that.

Most people consider an AHI below 5 as OSA being under control. You are almost there. Whether you need to pursue 5 or not depends on how you feel. Some can still feel a bit tired at 6 and would feel vastly different at 4. For others, such a drop makes no difference.

If you think about it, before CPAP your AHI may have been 20-50 or so. Now with CPAP it is down to 6ish. But 6 still means on average 6 times an hour you stop breathing, and technically you wake up. So on average, you still sleep in 10 minute chunks. If you look at it that way (which is overly negative just to show the point), you can see why people try to get the AHI down as low as they can.

How to bring it down?

If applicable, loose weight.
Keep the nose blockage-free (SinuPulse for example).
Keep/make the lungs healthy (stop smoking).
Tone the muscles in your throat (singing, play trumpet-like instruments).
Up the CPAP pressure.
Stay off your back when asleep (which in most brings down the AHI).
Use a heated hose if you use a humidifier (this is shown to stabliise the CPAP pressure, which keeps AHI stable in return).

At a pressure of 8.5, if that were to go up a noth, I'd expect your AHI to drop below 5. Add any of the above tactics, and you may go sub 3, and another level of energy in the day.

What are your latest readings?