ILD and Sleep Apnea Show Significant Association

A substantial percentage of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) also experience obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), researchers found in a recent study.

The investigators followed PRISMA guidelines to conduct a systematic search within the EMBASE, CENTRAL, Scopus, and MEDLINE databases in an effort to determine if an association between OSA and ILD exists. After identifying patients with ILD, the team conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of OSA, as well as the severity of the condition according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI).

The review identified 10 eligible studies that included 569 patients with ILD ranging from as mild [(AHI ≥ 5 to < 15/h], to moderate [AHI ≥ 15 to < 30/h], to severe [AHI ≥ 30/h].

“Among these patients, 332 (61%) suffered from OSA with 32% categorized as mild, 17% moderate, and 9% severe,” the authors wrote. “This systematic review and meta-analysis provides preliminary evidence regarding the high prevalence of OSA in ILD.”

--Rebecca Mashaw

Reference:

Cheng Y, Wang Y, Dai L. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in interstitial lung disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Breath. 2021;25(3):1219-1228.

 doi: 10.1007/s11325-020-02282-z.