Sleep-disordered breathing and asthma: evidence from a large multicentric epidemiological study in China

Previous studies have postulated that sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may be associated with the occurrence and exacerbation of asthma. However, there was limited quantitative evidence on the topic. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence and predisposing factors of asthma, and quantifying the association between SDB and asthma among school-aged children in China. In addition, a comprehensive meta-analysis of the published evidences and our findings were further conducted.

To test the hypothesis, we conducted a multicentric cross-sectional study involving 22,478 children aged 5-12 years recruited from eight cities in China. Furthermore, a meta-analysis based on both previously published studies and our cross-sectional study was performed.

The prevalence rate of SDB and asthma was 12.0% and 3.5% among our cross-sectional study sample. It was demonstrated that symptoms of SDB, such as habitual snoring (OR = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.01-1.62), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (OR = 1.92, 95%CI: 1.34-2.76), were significantly associated with asthma, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. In the meta-analysis, SDB was correlated with the prevalence of asthma in both children (OR = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.35-1.80) and adults (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.42-1.67).

Our results provide further evidence for the independent association between SDB and asthma. The clinical significance of our findings lies in the emphasis that children undergoing examination or treatment for asthma should be routinely screened for sleep problems. Further systematic study is required to illuminate the underlying mechanism.