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Allergic Rhinitis and OSA in Children Residing at a High Altitude
Luis Fernando Giraldo-Cadavid1, Karen Perdomo-Sanchez2, Jorge Luis Córdoba-Gravini2
1Interventional Pulmonology, Fundacion Neumologica Colombiana, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, University of La Sabana, School of Medicine, Chía, Colombia.
Insights
In children with allergic rhinitis (AR) at high altitudes, increased AR severity is linked to more severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study highlights the connection between AR and OSA severity in pediatric populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Allergology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 2-4% of children.
- Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a known risk factor for sleep-disordered breathing.
- No studies have investigated the AR-OSA association at high altitudes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between allergic rhinitis (AR) severity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity.
- To evaluate this association in children at high altitude.
- To determine if AR severity predicts OSA severity in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 99 children with AR.
- AR severity was assessed using the ESPRINT-15 questionnaire and ARIA classification.
- OSA diagnosis and severity were determined by polysomnography (PSG).
Main Results:
- 53% of the children had OSA.
- Higher ESPRINT-15 scores correlated with severe OSA (OR, 2.0; P=.01).
- Moderate/severe persistent rhinitis (ARIA) increased the risk of severe OSA tenfold (OR, 10.15; P=.001).
- Apnea-hypopnea index correlated with both ESPRINT-15 (ρ=0.215; P=.03) and ARIA severity (ρ=0.203; P=.04).
Conclusions:
- In symptomatic children with AR at high altitudes, increasing AR severity is associated with more severe OSA.
- This highlights the importance of managing AR in pediatric OSA patients.
- The findings suggest a significant link between allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea severity in high-altitude pediatric populations.
Background:
OSA affects 2% to 4 % of the pediatric population; allergic rhinitis (AR) has been identified as a risk factor in sleep-disordered breathing, but no studies evaluating such an association have been conducted in high-altitude environments. The goal of this study was to assess whether the severity of AR is associated with the severity of OSA in children undergoing polysomnography (PSG) in the high-altitude city of Bogotá, Colombia.
Methods:
A cross-sectional observational study of children with AR was conducted. Severity of AR was evaluated by using the AR health-related quality of life questionnaire for children (ESPRINT-15) and the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) classification. Diagnosis and severity of OSA were established by using PSG. Potential associations between AR severity and OSA severity were assessed by using binary logistic regression and the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ).
Results:
A total of 99 children (mean age, 7.9 years; 45% female) were included; 53% had OSA. An ESPRINT-15 score was associated with severe OSA (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.12-6.04; P = .01). Patients with moderate/severe persistent rhinitis according to ARIA exhibited a 10.1-fold greater risk of severe OSA (OR, 10.15; 95% CI, 1.15-89.0). Furthermore, the apnea-hypopnea index was associated with the ESPRINT-15 score (ρ = 0.215; P = .03) and with the ARIA severity scale (P = .04; ρ = 0.203).
Conclusions:
In symptomatic children with AR residing at a high altitude, increasing AR severity is associated with more severe OSA.
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