Objective    To study the clinical characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in the aged.     Methods    Forty-two over 60 patients with obstruction sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) and 42 matched but less than 60 years OSAHS patients were selected

who were admitted to our hospital from February 2003 to December 2005. The clinical presentations and the results of PSG monitoring were analyzed between the two groups.     Results    The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and microarousal index (MAI) in the aged group were significantly lower than that in the younger group (P0.05)

but mean arterial oxygen saturation and the lowest arterial oxygen saturation showed no significant difference between the two groups (P0.05). The number of severe OSAHS in the aged group was less than in the younger group (P0.05).     Conclusion    OSAHS in the aged is more complicated and not typical

but less severe than that in the younger patients. However

aged patients are vulnerable to hypoxemia and hypercapnia caused by OSAHS and easy to get complications that would decrease their life quality and increase the mortality. More attention should be paid to the early diagnosis and treatment of OSAHS in the aged.