Pollinosis Linked to Increased Sleep Apnea Risk

TOPLINE:

Pollinosis — an allergic reaction to pollen — was independently linked to an increased likelihood of having obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), and this association was stable despite adjustments for covariates.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers analyzed data from more than 65srcsrc adults who completed questionnaires for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2srcsrc5-2src18).
• The study included 3258 participants who were classified as having OSAHS on the basis of their responses to questions about snoring, daytime sleepiness, and snorting or stopping breathing during sleep, as well as an equal number of participants without OSAHS.
• Participants who reported an episode of hay fever in the past year were considered to have pollinosis.
• The researchers examined the relationship between pollinosis and OSAHS using three statistical models.

TAKEAWAY:

• A consistent and statistically significant relationship was observed between pollinosis and OSAHS across all three models, including a model that adjusted for confounding variables (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; P=.srcsrc2).
• Age younger than 8src years, male sex, body mass index, and waist circumference were additional significant risk factors for OSAHS (P <.src5 for all).

IN PRACTICE:

“The study findings may help clinicians identify high-risk populations for OSAHS at an earlier stage, particularly those with pollinosis. This identification can prompt early screening and intervention to reduce the risk of complications in patients,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

Sen Zhang, with Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on March 13 in BMC Pulmonary Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:

It is not possible to establish a causal relationship between pollinosis and OSAHS based on this cross-sectional, observational study, the researchers noted. The study lacked clinical evaluations, polysomnography, and detailed allergen testing. Variables such as environmental exposures, use of allergy medications, and pollinosis severity were not fully explored.

DISCLOSURES:

The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.