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STOP-Bang Questionnaire for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

STOP-Bang screens for obstructive sleep apnea with 8 yes/no items: Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, high blood Pressure, BMI >35, Age >50, Neck circumference >40 cm, male Gender. 0–2 is low risk, 3–4 intermediate and 5–8 high risk; 2+ STOP items plus male sex, BMI >35 or neck >40 cm also indicates high risk.

Snores loudly (yes/no, +1)
Tired, fatigued or sleepy during the day (yes/no, +1)
Observed apneas or choking/gasping during sleep (yes/no, +1)
High blood pressure (treated or untreated) (yes/no, +1)
BMI >35 kg/m² (yes/no, +1)
Age (years)
Neck circumference >40 cm (yes/no, +1)
Sex: Male; Female

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Interpretation

Result	Meaning
0–2	Low risk
3–4	Intermediate risk (high if ≥2 STOP + male / BMI >35 / neck >40)
5–8	High risk of moderate-to-severe OSA

Formula

One point each: Snoring · Tired · Observed apnea · Pressure (HTN) · BMI >35 · Age >50 · Neck >40 cm · male Gender

Clinical pearls

High sensitivity (~93% for moderate-to-severe OSA at ≥3) but modest specificity; confirm with polysomnography or home sleep testing.
Neck circumference cut-off of >40 cm is used for both sexes in the 2016 update.

Examples

stop bang 55M snores, tired, witnessed apneas, htn stop-bang for a 40 year old woman who snores and is tired, bmi 30, neck 36 cm osa screen 45 yo man snoring and hypertension

FAQ

What STOP-Bang score is high risk?

5–8 is high risk; 3–4 is intermediate, upgraded to high if at least two STOP items plus male sex, BMI >35 or neck >40 cm.

Is STOP-Bang used before surgery?

Yes. It was developed in preoperative clinics to flag undiagnosed OSA for perioperative planning.

Evidence

Pulmonary & Critical Care · Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Methodology