Does sleep apnea increase COVID-19 risk?
Research shows a possible link between sleep apnea and COVID-19 risk.
In the United States, more than 18 million people have sleep apnea, a disorder that makes it difficult to breathe while you sleep. Sleep apnea can lead to poor sleep hygiene and has also been linked to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and teeth grinding. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors have looked for risk factors in patients to develop severe cases of COVID-19. One possible route was sleep apnea and COVID-19.
Researchers from Turku University Hospital and the University of Turku conducted a study that looked at the possible link between sleep apnea and COVID-19 risk. Their results were published in Sleep Medicine and Disorders: International Journal.
The study looked at Finnish patients at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of early May 2020, only 263 cases of COVID-19 had been reported in Finland. 28 of them were admitted to Turku University Hospital.
In April 2020, researchers started collecting all health-related data for COVID-19 patients at Turku University Hospital. The research team statistically analyzed all the data collected. The health-related data included weight, height, smoking behavior, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and COPD.
The COVID-19 patients were in the hospital for an average of 9.5 days. Of the 28 enrolled patients, 25% were treated in the intensive care unit for an average stay in the intensive care unit of 19 days. Fifteen patients were discharged home, nine were discharged to a health center. Two patients died in the hospital and one died after being taken to a health center.
Many of the study's findings correlated with those from COVID-19 studies around the world. However, the study determined sleep apnea and COVID-19 risk. 29 of the patients had sleep apnea as a pre-existing condition, while only 3.1% of the Finnish population had been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Two risk factors for sleep apnea can lead to severe cases of COVID-19: low blood oxygen levels and chronic inflammation. Doctors believe that low levels of oxygen in the blood known as hypoxemia could worsen during COVID-19 infection. Chronic inflammation also increases the risk of a cytokine storm, a known COVID-19 risk factor.
The study also found that patients admitted to the intensive care unit had high levels of C-reactive protein. The data suggest that high levels of C-reactive protein are related to blood oxygen levels and indicate a higher risk of ICU admission.
The study suggests that there is a link between sleep apnea and the risk of severe COVID-19. However, due to the size of the study, additional research was recommended.
Written by: Rebecca K. Blankenship B.Sc.
References:
Feuth T., Saaresranta T., Karlsson A. et al. Is sleep apnea a risk factor for Covid-19? Results of a retrospective cohort study. Sleep Medicine and Sleep Disorders: https://medcraveonline.com/SMDIJ/SMDIJ-04-00075.pdfInternational Journal. 2020; 4 (3). doi: 10.15406 / smdij.2020.04.00075
Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis. Sleep foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apnea/obstructive-sleep-apnea/diagnosis. Published on September 25, 2020.
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