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Public health implications of obstructive sleep apnea burden
Ileana Baldi1, Achal Gulati, Giulia Lorenzoni
1Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Via Loredan, 18, 35121, Padova, Italy, ileana.baldi@unipd.it.
Insights
Treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in Indian children reduces obesity and related diseases like stroke and diabetes. Early detection and intervention are crucial for public health policies to manage childhood OSA burden.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a growing concern in Indian children.
- Childhood obesity is a significant risk factor for adverse health outcomes associated with OSA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) burden on Indian children.
- To estimate the number of obesity cases and associated adverse outcomes (stroke, CHD, type 2 diabetes) in children with OSA.
Main Methods:
- Monte Carlo simulations were employed to model OSA-related obesity and its consequences.
- Data were sourced from a literature review on pediatric OSA and obesity.
Main Results:
- Treatment for OSA, including adenotonsillectomy (AT) and CPAP, significantly reduced obesity cases and associated adverse outcomes.
- Despite treatment benefits, the cost of managing adverse outcomes was higher in treated OSA patients compared to untreated ones.
Conclusions:
- Treating OSA in children leads to a substantial decrease in obesity-related adverse health events.
- Urgent implementation of public health policies for early OSA screening and intervention in children is recommended to mitigate the OSA burden.
Objective:
To assess the implications of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) burden among Indian children.
Methods:
MonteCarlo simulations were performed in order to estimate the number of OSA related obesity cases among Indian children (1-14 y of age) and the number of cases of stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes, considered as main adverse outcomes of OSA related childhood obesity, according to untreated and treated [adenotonsillectomy (AT) alone and AT associated to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)] pediatric OSA. Data used to perform MonteCarlo simulations were derived from a review about current literature exploring OSA related obesity.
Results:
The analysis on the number of adverse outcomes according to treated and untreated obesity related to OSA showed that treatments reduce the number of obesity cases, resulting in a great reduction of the amount of stroke, CHD and type 2 diabetes cases. However, the cost for treating adverse outcome was higher in patients treated for obesity related to OSA compared to those not receiving any treatment.
Conclusions:
The reduction in the number of adverse outcomes due to treatment of obesity related OSA implicates the urgent need for public health policies in providing screening for OSA among children population: an early detection and a consequently prompt reaction to pediatric OSA could improve the burden of OSA related obesity.
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