Obstructive sleep apnea and urological comorbidities in males: a population-based study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent condition affecting millions globally.
• Emerging evidence suggests potential links between OSA and various non-respiratory comorbidities.
• The association between OSA and urological conditions requires further investigation in large populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and a spectrum of urological comorbidities.
• To utilize a large-scale, population-based dataset for robust statistical analysis.
• To quantify the risk of specific urological conditions in males with OSA.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was employed using the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005.
• A cohort of 1236 males diagnosed with OSA was compared against 4944 age-matched controls without OSA.
• Conditional logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between OSA and urological comorbidities.

Main Results:

• Patients with OSA exhibited significantly higher prevalences of prostate hypertrophy, chronic prostatitis, urinary incontinence, nocturia, erectile dysfunction, urinary calculi, and prostate cancer compared to the control group.
• Adjusted odds ratios for males with OSA were notably elevated for all investigated urological conditions, including prostate hypertrophy (2.54), chronic prostatitis (1.95), urinary incontinence (4.13), nocturia (3.54), erectile dysfunction (2.95), urinary calculi (1.89), and prostate cancer (2.14).
• The findings indicate a statistically significant increased risk for these urological conditions in individuals with OSA.

Conclusions:

• Males diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) demonstrate significantly higher odds of developing several urological conditions.
• The study identifies increased risks for hypertrophy of the prostate, chronic prostatitis, urinary incontinence, nocturia, erectile dysfunction, urinary calculi, and prostate cancer in men with OSA.
• These findings underscore the importance of considering urological health in the management of patients with OSA.