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Asthma linked with increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea

Patients with asthma are at an increased risk for developing new-onset obstructive sleep apnea during their lifetime, according to a new study.

“Pre-existent asthma was a risk factor for the development of clinically relevant [obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)] in adulthood over a 4-year period,” Mihaela Teodorescu, MD, MS, and colleagues wrote.

Mihaela Teodorescu

In a population-based epidemiologic study, investigators randomly recruited 547 Wisconsin state employees who were aged 30 to 60 years. Starting in 1988, participants answered questionnaires as to whether they had asthma (n=81) or did not have asthma (n=466) and the likelihood that they experienced daytime sleepiness. Only participants without signs of obstructive sleep apnea were included in the study. Participants were followed in 4-year intervals — ending in 2013 — and attended overnight polysomnography tests.

After all intervals were calculated, 22 patients with pre-existing asthma experienced 45 incidents of OSA during 167 4-year intervals. Seventy-five participants without asthma experienced 160 OSA incidents during 938 of the intervals (P=.007, for difference).

A regression model estimated that participants with pre-existing asthma vs. those without asthma had an adjusted RR of 1.39 (95% CI, 1.06-1.82) for incident OSA and 2.72 (95% CI, 1.26-5.89) for incident OSA with daytime sleepiness.

The researchers also analyzed 468 participants for an 8-year period and observed that those with pre-existing asthma had an absolute risk of 49% (95% CI, 38%-61%) for developing incident OSA vs. 28% (95% CI, 23%-32%) for participants without asthma.

Study limitations, according to the investigators, included that participants were asked to recall physician-diagnosed asthma, and the researchers had no details on the participants’ asthma medications.

“Asthma was associated with an increased risk of new-onset OSA,” the researchers concluded. “Studies investigating the mechanisms underlying this association and the value of periodic OSA evaluation in patients with asthma are warranted.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.