Lifestyle and Occupational Stress: A Potential Risk Factor for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Nonobese Male Subjects

To record the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in nonobese male subjects and investigate the coexistence of lifestyle stress, sleep deprivation, and upper airway inflammation.

552 patients were assessed during a survey of banks, government and corporate offices, recruitment agencies, and schools between January 2012 and January 2016. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria designed for this study, the number of patients tapered down to 120 patients who underwent diagnostic tests, viz. polysomnography, chemiluminiscence immunoassay, nephelometry, and upper airway endoscopy. This revealed the presence of OSA coexistent with elevated serum cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), and upper airway inflammation.

Polysomnography showed that 57 of 120 patients suffered from OSA. Objective evaluation of these patients exposed an undercurrent of lifestyle stress in 39 patients. CRP and serum cortisol were found to be significantly high (1.60 ± 0.52 and 7.20 ± 0.76 μg/dL, respectively) in 30 patients. Endoscopy revealed 18 patients with moderate, 7 with severe, and 5 with no upper airway inflammation.

The results of this study demonstrated that OSA was found to be prevalent in the cohort of nonobese male patients studied. Coexistence of lifestyle stress, sleep deprivation, and upper airway inflammation was revealed.