Serum ferritin and obstructive sleep apnea-epidemiological study.

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to increased pro-inflammatory cytokines.
• Ferritin, an iron storage protein, is a known inflammation marker.
• The relationship between ferritin and OSA requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare serum ferritin (S-Ferritin) levels in OSA patients versus the general population.
• To assess the influence of obesity on S-Ferritin levels in OSA.
• To examine the effect of positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment on S-Ferritin levels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized propensity score (PS) methodologies for robust comparison between OSA (n=796) and control (n=637) groups.
• Measured S-Ferritin levels and collected detailed health and sleep data via questionnaires.
• Followed OSA patients for 2 years to evaluate changes post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Initially, OSA males showed higher S-Ferritin than controls, but this difference vanished after PS adjustment.
• S-Ferritin levels did not correlate with OSA severity, obesity, or symptoms.
• No significant S-Ferritin level changes were observed after 2 years of PAP treatment.

Conclusions:

• Serum ferritin levels in OSA patients are comparable to those in the general population.
• Obesity and PAP treatment did not demonstrate a consistent impact on S-Ferritin levels in this cohort.
• Ferritin may not serve as a reliable biomarker for OSA severity or treatment response in this context.