Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Psoriasis Patients

Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic skin disease that can lead to negative impacts on quality of life (QoL) because of diseaserelated comorbidities. We aimed to investigate the risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in patients with Ps.

Fifty-seven patients with Ps were included in this study. The patients were evaluated for their demographics, Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), duration of disease, Psoriasis Quality of Life Index (PQLI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and also Berlin questionnaire (BQ), in terms of the risk groups of OSAS. High and low risk groups were compared with above-mentioned parameters.

Of the patients studied, 35 (61.40%) were at high-risk according to BQ. In the high-risk group, body mass index (BMI) was significantly high (P = 0.009), and they were all obese. The mean values of PASI, disease duration, PQLI and PSQI were significantly higher in the high-risk group compared to the low-risk group (each P < 0.05). PASI (P = 0.013), BMI (P = 0.014), PLQI (P = 0.012) and hypertension (HT) (P = 0.030) had significance in prediction of OSAS development, whereas only PASI and BMI showed significant impacts. It was seen that increase in BMI values was slightly more effective than increase in PASI values (1.25- fold against 1.07-fold) in development of OSAS.

We suggest patients with severe and long-term Ps should be evaluated in terms of OSAS, and OSAS may be accepted as a comorbidity for Ps in the future.